NIH R01 · 2025
Selective Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonism in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Human Neuroscience Study
ABSTRACT/SUMMARY Perturbations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis characterize alcohol use disorder (AUD). The HPA axis is the primary stress-response system and cortisol is the major adrenal glucocorticoid hormone in most mammals. A negative feedback system involving glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) regulates HPA axis activity and cortisol secretion. Preclinical studies have shown glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonists reduce alcohol (ALC) reward, withdrawal, and stress-induced relapse in preclinical studies. Despite this robust literature, these areas are understudied in humans, perhaps because the only clinically available GR antagonist, mifepristone, is not selective. The…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.