One of the most common pathological conditions caused by alcohol abuse is liver injury. The Lemasters lab and their collaborators study exactly how alcohol causes this damage. Many types of cell damage occur through a common mechanism, a process called mitochondrial permeability transition. This process disrupts the cellular integrity of the mitochondria. The mitochondria are no longer able to make energy for the cell and the cell dies.
Cell death can occur by necrosis, death resulting from profound damage.
Alternatively, the cell has an active self-destruct mechanism called apoptosis. Dr. Lemasters has found that both necrosis and apoptosis result from damage to the liver by a variety of model toxicants. He is working to discover exactly how alcohol kills cells in liver. However, this work is relevant to all tissues that are exposed to alcohol, including the gut, pancreas, kidneys, heart and brain. Dr. Lemasters studies these processes using advanced microscopic imaging systems.