Overall SCORE Project Description
Sex Differences in the Metabolic Syndrome
The objective of our SCORE on “Sex Differences in the Metabolic Syndrome” is to elucidate sex differences in risk factors and treatments for Metabolic Syndrome (MetSyn) components such as obesity, insulin resistance/diabetes, dyslipidemia, and fatty liver. Differences between men and women in susceptibility to cardio-metabolic disease are well known, but the underlying genetic and physiological mechanisms remain poorly defined. Our goal is to identify factors that determine sex-specific MetSyn risk, which may lead to better diagnosis and treatment for both sexes. A unique feature of our program is the investigation of sex differences in MetSyn from multiple perspectives, including impact of XX vs. XY sex chromosome complement, interactions between sex and genetic variation, and estrogen effects. This triad converges in the study of how each of these components influences metabolism at the genetic and epigenetic levels. Our program consists of three research projects and three cores, and will use preclinical models and human tissue samples.
UCLA SCORE Project and Core Leaders
- Karen Reue (PI, SCORE and Leader, Project 1), Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (reuek@ucla.edu; http://reue.genetics.ucla.edu)
- Jake Lusis (Leader, Project 2), Medicine/Cardiology and Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (JLusis@mednet.ucla.edu; http://lusis.genetics.ucla.edu)
- Andrea Hevener (Leader, Project 3), Medicine/Endocrinology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (ahevener@mednet.ucla.edu)
- Arthur Arnold (Leader, Career Enhancement Core), Integrative Physiology, UCLA (arnold@ucla.edu; http://arnoldlab.ibp.ucla.edu)
- Matteo Pellegrini (Leader, Genomic Technologies Core), Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, UCLA (matteop@mcdb.ucla.edu; http://pellegrini.mcdb.ucla.edu)