Research

The NIAAA is the lead agency for U.S. research on the causes, consequences, prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related problems.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Section on Fibrotic Disorders

Contact Information

  • Lab: 301.443.4098

Overview of the Lab

The mission of the lab is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the development and progression of fibrosis, to explore novel therapeutic targets and to develop effective pharmacotherapies for fibrotic disorders of different etiologies, including alcohol use disorders. We are particularly interested in pursuing a multi-target therapeutic approach to improve treatment efficacy by simultaneously engaging multiple pathogenic pathways in fibrotic disorders. 

Research Projects

  1. Exploring health impacts of alcohol drinking in lungs
  2. Exploring role of cannabinoid CB1R in lung injury and fibrosis
  3. Exploring multi-target therapeutic approach for improving efficacy in fibrotic disorders
  4. Developing and identifying anti-fibrotic drug candidates in collaboration with Section on Medicinal Chemistry

Lab Members

Selected Publications

Cinar, J. K. Park, C. N. Zawatsky, N.J. Coffey, S. P. Bodine, J. Abdalla, T.Yokoyama, T. Jourdan, L.Jay, M. X. G. Zuo, K. J. O’Brien, J.Huang, K. Mackie, A.Alimardanov, M.R. Iyer, W. A. Gahl, G. Kunos, B. R. Gochuico, M. C. V. Malicdan. (2021) CB1R and iNOS are distinct players promoting pulmonary fibrosis in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. Clin. and Transl. Med. 2021, 11: e471. 

Z.Liu, M. R. Iyer, G. Godlewski, T. Jourdan, J. Liu, N. J. Coffey, C. N. Zawatsky, H. L. Puhl, J. Wess,  J. Meister, J.-S. Liow, R. B. Innis, S. A. Hassan, Y. S. Lee, G. Kunos, and R. Cinar (2021) Functional Selectivity of a Biased Cannabinoid-1 Receptor (CB1R) Antagonist. ACS Pharmacol. & Transl. Sci., 4(3):1175-1187.

Zawatsky CN, Abdalla J, Cinar R. (2020) Synthetic cannabinoids induce acute lung inflammation via cannabinoid 1 activation. ERJ Open Research 6(3):00121.

J.K. Park, N. J. Coffey, S.P. Bodine, C. N. Zawatsky, L. Jay, W. A. Gahl, G. Kunos, B. R. Gochuico, M. C. V. Malicdan, R Cinar. (2020) Bleomycin induce drug efflux in lung: a pitfal for pharmacological studies in pulmonary fibrosis. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology- 62(2): 178-190.

Cinar, B. Gochuico, M.R. Iyer, T. Jourdan, T. Yokoyama, J. K. Park, N. Coffey, H. Pri-Chen, G. Szanda, Z. Liu, W. Gahl, G. Kunos (2017) Cannabinoid CB1 receptor overactivity contributes to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. JCI Insight 2(8):92281.

Cinar, M. R. Iyer, Z. Liu, Z. Cao, T. Jourdan, K. Erdelyi, G. Godlewski, G. Szanda, J. Liu, J. K. Park, B. Mukhopadhyay, A.Z. Rosenberg, J.S. Liow, R. G. Lorenz, P. Pacher, R. B. Innis, G. Kunos. (2016) Hybrid inhibitor of peripheral cannabinoid-1 receptors and inducible nitric oxide synthase mitigates liver fibrosis. JCI Insight 1(11): e87336.

Reviews

Cinar R, MR Iyer, G Kunos. (2021) Dual inhibition of Cb1 receptors and iNOS, as a potential novel approach to the pharmacological management of acute and long COVID-19. Br J. Pharmacol doi.org/10.1111/bph.15461.

Cinar, M.R. Iyer, G. Kunos. (2020) The therapeutic potential of second and third generation CB1R antagonists. Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 208:107477.

Patents

G Kunos , M Iyer , R Cinar , KC Rice , inventors; The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, assignee. Cannabinoid receptor mediating compounds.  United States patent US 9,765,031. 19 Sep 2017.

G Kunos , M Iyer , R Cinar , KC Rice inventors; The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, assignee. Pyrazole derivatives and their use as cannabinoid receptor mediators United States patent US 10,329,259. 25 Jun 2019.

G Kunos , M Iyer , R Cinar , KC Rice, inventors; The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, assignee. Cannabinoid receptor mediating compounds. United States patent US 10,683,270. 16 Jun 2020.

G Kunos , M Iyer , R Cinar , KC Rice, inventors; The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, assignee. Cannabinoid receptor mediating iminopyrazole compounds. United States patent US 10,787,419. 29 Sep 2020.

R Cinar, G Kunos , M.R. Iyer , W. A. Gahl, B.R. Gochuico, M.C.V. Malicdan, inventors; The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, assignee. Cannabinoid receptor mediating compounds. United States patent US 11,155,521. 26 Oct 2021.

Other Lab Resources

Section Alumni

Postbaccalaurate Fellows

Keshav Goel, B.S., Postbac IRTA Fellow 2020-2021, 
subsequently enrolled in MD program, University of Pennsylvania Medical School.

Corynn Appolonia, B.S., Postbac IRTA Fellow 2020-2021, 
subsequently enrolled in MD/PhD program, Case Western Reserve University.

Jasmina Abdalla, B.S., Postbac IRTA Fellow 2019-2021, 
subsequently enrolled in MD program, University of Virginia Medical School.

Charles N. Zawatsky, B.S., Postbac IRTA Fellow 2018-2021, 
subsequently enrolled in MD/PhD program, Pennsylvania State University.

Summer Fellows

Mei Xing Zuo, Summer Internship Program 2020
 

niaaa.nih.gov

An official website of the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov