Alcohol misuse is a leading risk factor for ill-health worldwide, accounting for a considerable number of premature deaths per year and a high socioeconomic impact estimated over $200 billion. While an association between alcohol-related hepatic damage and brain inflammation has been suggested, the
underlying mechanism, however, is not fully understood. The liver-to-brain proinflammatory signaling involves routes of immune cell recruitment, pro-inflammatory signalling and alterations in the permeability of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB), the gate to the brain. We hypothesize that the activation of microglia driven by the liver triggers brain inflammation which play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of alcoholism.