Diabetes RESEARCH CENTER A Message from Dr. E. Dale Abel
Renata Pereira, is called growth and differentiation factor PhD, Research Assis15 (GDF15), which promotes leanness tant Professor of in mice. To investigate this further, she Internal Mediconducted experiments using geneticine, Endocrically-engineered mice that lacked a critnology and Metabical protein called optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) olism, and member in their brown fat cells. In the absence of of the FOEDRC, the OPA1 protein, activation of the ISR is the recipient of a new NIH R01 grant and secretion of GDF15 from brown fat for $1.9M to support her work enticells occurred even at room temperature. tled The role of the integrated stress As a result, these mice had faster metabresponse in brown adipose tissue-meolism and were resistant to obesity and diated metabolic adaptations. diabetes, even when consuming a diet very “Obesity and related conditions, such high in fat. These findings indicate that the as diabetes and heart disease, are some processes that activate the ISR in fat cells of the greatest health problems affecting either by cold temperatures or OPA1 deletoday’s society. In an effort to better tion are likely to be the same. Dr. Pereiunderstand ways in which the body can ra’s work seeks to identify the specifics of increase its metabolism to burn fat and these processes and harness them into prevent the effects of those diseases, Dr. new treatments for diabetes and obesity. Pereira has focused her studies on special Activating the ISR in these cells fat cells called brown (or beige) fat cells. improves the body’s metabolic health When exposed to cold temperain two ways: it increases the fat-burning tures, brown fat cells can burn calories to properties of the cells, and produces leanproduce heat and warm up the body. Findness due to the secretion of GDF15 and ings from Dr. Pereira’s laboratory demonpotentially other anti-obesity hormones. strated that, when mice are exposed to Completion of this project will reveal cold temperatures for a brief period of the mechanisms underlying ISR activatime, a series of reactions in their brown tion and the role of the ISR and GDF15 fat cells are triggered, which includes in brown fat cells, potentially leading the activation of a stress response called to new ways to combat obesity and the integrated stress response (ISR). associated disorders in humans. The ISR seems to induce the release of hormones that improve the body’s metab- Visit the News page at foe.com at the first of every olism, helping the mice burn calories month to read the latest DRC Update from Dr. Abel. more efficiently. One of these hormones diabetes research center
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