For a full list of our publications, please visit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1DApA9WyIW9QA/bibliography/public/

Regulation of lipid metabolism and its impact on tissue and whole body health

Fatty acids, both those generated by the body, and ones that come from the diet, are subject to modification. One such modification is the desaturation of saturated fatty acids by delta-9 desaturases. Delta-9 desaturases such as stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) insert a double bond between carbons 9 and 10 of many saturated fatty acids, generating a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) product.

We and others have demonstrated that SCD expression is both highly conserved and acutely regulated in response to various physiological stimuli, including fasting-refeeding, high-fat or high-sucrose consumption, and others. Modulation of SCD expression in various tissues elicits dramatic phenotypes such as alterations in weight gain and food intake, insulin sensitivity, energy expenditure, and inflammation.

Current projects in the lab are focused on delineating a role for tissue-specific expression of various SCD isoforms on diverse pathologies including metabolic and cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancers.