Antioxidant and Gene Regulation Lab

Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC)

Louisiana State University System (LSU)

Our research is related to the cellular and molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance, a pathogenic status that contributes to many diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart diseases, and cancer. Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta-cells in the pancreas. The major function of insulin is to reduce blood glucose and stimulate cell proliferation. Insulin resistance is a status where the body losses response to insulin. Insulin resistance often happens in a subject with obesity or aging. At the molecular level, free fatty acids and inflammation cytokines contribute to the initiation of insulin resistance. Since insulin resistance is a common root for many diseases, understanding of the mechanism is very important for prevention and treatment of the diseases. We are trying to understand how free fatty acids and inflammation induce insulin resistance through laboratory investigation. Additionally, we are exploring the effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine in the regulation of insulin sensitivity. Our research is concentrated on signal transduction and transcriptional regulation that are related to actions of insulin, fatty acids and inflammation cytokines.