Calcineurin signaling as a target for the treatment of alcohol abuse and neuroinflammatory disorders

Abstract

Converging lines of evidence point to a significant role of neuroinflammation in a host of psychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorder, TBI, and PTSD. A complex interaction of both peripheral and central signaling underlies processes involved in neuroinflammation. Calcineurin is a molecule that sits at the nexus of these processes and has been clearly linked to a number of psychiatric disorders including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Like its role in regulating peripheral immune cells, calcineurin (CN) plays an integral role in processes regulating neuroimmune function and neuroinflammatory processes. Targeting CN or elements of its signaling pathways at critical points may aid in the functional recovery from neuroinflammatory related disorders. In this review we will highlight the role of neuroinflammation and calcineurin signaling in AUD, TBI and stress-induced disorders and discuss recent findings demonstrating a therapeutic effect of immunosuppressant-induced calcineurin inhibition in a pre-clinical model of binge alcohol drinking.

Keywords: Alcohol abuse; Alcohol use disorder; CRF; Calcineurin; Corticotropin releasing factor; Immunosuppressant; Neuroinflammation; PTSD; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Stress; TBI; Traumatic brain injury.