Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Metabolic diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity are strong risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease and greatly increase the chance of having a heart attack or stroke. High rates of obesity in the western world have made metabolic diseases (and their association with cardiovascular disease) the number one cause of mortality. Current treatment strategies to treat these diseases include lifestyle changes and medications to control high cholesterol and insulin resistance. The application of symptomatic treatments has failed to improve patient outcomes, and the rate of morbidity and mortality remains unacceptably high. Recent research has demonstrated that reactivation of brown fat may protect against the onset of obesity and metabolic diseases by increasing energy expenditure in the body. In this regard, the preliminary data in this proposal provide novel evidence of the involvement of a novel gene regulator in brown fat formation and metabolism. The proposed studies will use cell culture and mouse models to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this observation and evaluate the potential for inhibition of this to reduce diet-induced obesity and to improve cardiac function. From these studies, we aim to facilitate the development of novel drugs for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disease.