Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of Alcohol Use Disorder in Postmortem Human Brain Tissue

While Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a major contributor to global mortality and morbidity, its underlying pathomechanisms remain poorly understood. We performed extensive profiling of postmortem human brain tissue by analyzing the genome, epigenome, and transcriptome in the striatum of individuals with and without AUD. Further, we assessed telomere length, mitochondrial DNA copy numbers (mtDNAcn), and epigenetic clocks to investigate inflammation and aging as potential long-term correlates of AUD in the brain.