Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official
journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International
Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism.

Excerpt: "Proteomics and alcoholism research"
16 Feb 2004

'Proteomics' refers to the study of proteins that are synthesized by
cells, tissues and organs in the body. Recent advances in technology now
allow scientists to separate and identify these proteins.

According to symposium proceedings published in the February issue of
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, proteomics has important
implications for alcoholism research in terms of identifying biomarkers
of alcohol intake, understanding alcohol's effects, particularly on the
liver, and developing drugs to treat alcoholism.

'The study of proteins involved in alcoholism has taken two different
approaches. One approach is to select a protein for study because of its
role in a pathway believed to involve alcoholism. Since alcoholism is a
behavioral disorder, many of the candidate proteins selected for study
are involved in neurochemical pathways. An alternate proteomic approach
is to study as many proteins as can be separated by a technique such as
2D gel electrophoresis and identified through mass spectrometry'.

The ultimate goal of this research is to apply the animal findings to
the development of good urinary biomarkers in humans as a measure of
alcohol intake. This would have important applications for many
alcoholism treatment facilities.'

'The plan is to involve multiple laboratories internationally, to build
an international network of experts in liver cell biology, proteomics
and bioinformatics, and to develop a common bioinformatics platform to
track samples with centralized data capture and analysis. The
establishment of a 'liver biological atlas' would represent a major
advance in the understanding of the biological functions of this organ.
It may also lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches for
liver-specific and other diseases.'

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