PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The goal of this R01 proposal is to investigate a novel molecular mechanism by which extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (eCIRP), released from microglial cells upon alcohol exposure, leads to tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the 6th leading cause of death in the US and the most common form of neurodegenerative dementia. Although studies link heavy alcohol drinking to AD, the underlying mechanisms have not been sufficiently explored. We have shown that eCIRP is a critical mediator of memory impairment induced by exposure to binge-drinking levels of alcohol, leading us to postulate that eCIRP may be a key player in the relationship between alcohol and AD. Indeed, we discovered that eCIRP was increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients. We also showed that alcohol increased the brain levels of eCIRP in an animal model of binge alcohol drinking, and that microglial cells are the probable source of eCIRP in the brain after alcohol exposure. Moreover, eCIRP increased tau phosphorylation and upregulated the Cdk5 hyperactivator p25 via the direct binding to and activation of the interleukin-6 receptor α (IL-6Rα)/STAT3 pathway. Based on these novel findings, we hypothesize that alcohol-induced microglial cell- derived eCIRP activates the neuronal IL-6Rα/STAT3/Cdk5 pathway, leading to pathological tau phosphoryl- ation and aggregation. We also showed that the CIRP-derived peptide C23 effectively inhibited the activation of the IL-6Rα/STAT3/Cdk5 pathway induced by eCIRP. Therefore, we further hypothesize that treatment with C23 attenuates the development of alcohol-induced tau pathology. In this project, we plan to further establish the role of alcohol-induced microglial cell-derived eCIRP in pathological tau phosphorylation and aggregation. We will then elucidate the molecular mechanism through which eCIRP produces AD-like pathological tau phosphorylation and aggregation. Finally, we will examine whether inhibition of eCIRP with C23 attenuates tau phosphorylation and aggregation after exposures to binge-drinking levels of alcohol. These studies will provide novel pivotal insights into the mechanisms responsible for the influence of heavy alcohol drinking on the pathogenesis of AD, as well as a new potential therapeutic strategy to treat AD patients in the future.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Heavy alcohol drinking has been shown to be linked to the onset and severity of Alzheimer’s disease. In patients with Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline is related to the development of abnormal forms of the protein tau. In this project, we will elucidate how extracellular cold inducible RNA-binding protein (eCIRP) mediates tau abnormalities caused by alcohol, and investigate whether they can be attenuated by targeting eCIRP with a small peptide. This project will help us not only understand the molecular mechanism involved in the relationship between alcohol and Alzheimer’s disease, but also provide new potential therapeutic strategies to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease in the future.