Nayiri Kalindjian L&S Biological Sciences
Enhancing Thermogenesis by Targeting Actomyosin Contraction
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic predisposing overweight individuals to many severe illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. While pharmaceutical targets like semaglutide and other GLP-1R agonists have emerged in recent years, these products have been shown to have various shortcomings and side effects, therefore raising the need for therapeutics with alternative targets. Brown and beige adipose tissue are intriguing weight-loss targets due to their thermogenic capacity — their ability to generate heat and burn fat. Previously, in our lab, we identified a novel actomyosin-mediated signaling pathway that controls the thermogenic capacity of brown and beige adipocytes, which are intriguing weight-loss targets due to their high energy expenditure. Powered by modern AI-based drug discovery approaches, our lab has identified a series of compounds predicted to activate actomyosin networks and up-regulate key thermogenic protein, uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), in brown and beige adipose tissue. My project intends to validate the functionality of the compounds identified in the lab for their ability to stimulate thermogenesis in adipocytes.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much, Donor, for your generous support of my project. Your contribution has allowed me to continue pursuing research in metabolic biology—a field essential to deepening our understanding of human health and disease. Scientific inquiry lies at the heart of advancing medical knowledge and improving lives, and I’m truly honored to be a part of that effort. Your support has played a pivotal role in making this work possible, and I'm sincerely grateful for this opportunity.