Combating Obesity — The NIH has awarded Dr. Dongsheng Cai $2 million over five years to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which the hypothalamus regulates metabolism and senses nutrients. The hypothalamus is the region of the brain that controls feeding, body weight and glucose balance. Dr. Cai’s team previously showed that mice lacking the nuclear transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) in the hypothalamus are more susceptible to obesity than normal mice, suggesting that HIF may play a role in preventing overeating and excessive weight gain. Dr. Cai’s team will examine how hypothalamic neurons sense and respond to nutrients by altering appetite, metabolism and other activities. These processes determine body weight, so understanding their molecular basis can provide key insights into how diabetes and other metabolic diseases are caused. Dr. Cai is professor of molecular pharmacology.
Posted on: Wednesday, June 11, 2014