Drugs to control rheumatoid arthritis may one day help people stop drinking. A new Scripps Research study shows that an anti-inflammatory molecule already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat autoimmune diseases reduces excessive alcohol intake in alcoholic female mice.
The new discovery is Neuroinflammation Journal May 22, 2026, There is growing evidence that brain inflammation plays a role in alcohol use disorder.
This disorder is caused, in part, by damage to the neuroimmune system. Targeting this system may be an interesting clinical avenue to follow up in the coming years. ”
Marisa Roberto, senior author, professor of translational medicine, and Paul and Cleo Schimmel Endowed Chair of Scripps Research
The new research centers around a molecule called interleukin-6, or IL-6, that the body produces in response to stress, infection, and injury. IL-6 is best known for its role in causing inflammation in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, but it is produced by immune cells throughout the body as well as cells in the brain, and can directly impact brain circuit function.
Previous research had already suggested that people who drink heavily tend to have elevated levels of IL-6 in their blood, and that genetic variations in the IL-6 gene are associated with an increased risk of alcohol use disorder. Because of these connections, Roberto’s team wondered if blocking IL-6 could reduce drinking behavior.
To test this idea, researchers turned to a mouse model of alcohol use disorder in which animals escalate and develop compulsive drinking behaviors. They confirmed that chronic alcohol exposure increased levels of IL-6 signaling in the central amygdala of the brain, which is associated with addictive behavior. Next, we showed that in alcoholic mice, IL-6 suppresses the GABA system in the central amygdala, which normally prevents overactivation of neurons.
“GABA is an important braking signal that the brain uses to dampen neuronal activity,” explains co-first author Chloe Erickson, a postdoctoral researcher in Roberto’s lab. “When this braking system weakens, overexcitement can occur. Loss of inhibitory control plays a major role in behaviors associated with alcohol use disorders, such as drinking, craving, and withdrawal.”
Next, the researchers gave the alcoholic mice an antibody that targets the IL-6 receptor, the same type of drug used for rheumatoid arthritis. This antibody works by binding to the IL-6 receptor, preventing IL-6 from acting on cells throughout the body, including the brain. After receiving treatment, the alcoholic female mice significantly reduced their alcohol intake. No significant changes were seen in dependent males (in addition to non-dependent animals of both sexes), suggesting that the drug was not broadly suppressing drinking, but rather acting on specific dysregulated molecular pathways that promote drinking behavior in females.
“We know in the human literature that women are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases, so the positive results in female mice were surprising but consistent with the clinical data,” says co-first author Celsy St. Onge, a postdoctoral fellow at the Scripps Research Institute.
The results show that there are biologically meaningful differences in how men’s and women’s brains respond to alcohol use disorders. However, the researchers note that more research is needed to clarify gender differences. Female mice in the study consumed more alcohol than males, which may explain some of the difference in treatment response.
In addition to the mouse study, the researchers analyzed postmortem brain tissue from 30 humans diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and 30 people without alcohol use disorder. They identified 377 genes that were differentially expressed between the two groups. Among the strongest signals was IL-6, which, along with several other inflammation-related genes, was significantly elevated in people with alcohol use disorder.
Beyond specific findings, the researchers say the study speaks broadly about how scientists view alcohol use disorder. Roberto’s lab has previously shown a link between another immune protein in the brain and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and has tested another anti-inflammatory drug for its potential to treat alcohol use disorder.
“In recent years, there has been a major shift in the field toward classifying alcohol use disorder as a systemic disease,” Roberto says. “This neuroimmune perspective adds to the growing literature that binge drinking can have serious negative health effects. We hope that by classifying it in this way, we can continue to de-stigmatize this complex disease.”
sauce:
Scripps Research Institute
Reference magazines:
St. Onge, C.M.; others. (2026). Translational evidence for increased central amygdala IL-6 activity in alcohol dependence. Journal of Neuroinflammation. DOI: 10.1186/s12974-026-03868-2https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12974-026-03868-2
