Lily Q. Dong
Associate Professor of Cellular & Structural Biology and Pharmacology
Ph.D., Iowa State University
Office: 210-567-4849
Email: dongq@uthscsa.edu
Keywords
KEYWORDS
Research Summary
Insulin resistance is a primary contributing factor in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. This condition is characterized by the loss of insulin sensitivity in tissue, resulting in an impairment of glucose breakdown in cells, an unregulated production of glucose in hepatic cells, and a reduction of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, resulting in a greatly increased glucose level in the bloodstream. Recently a new hormone has been identified in the human body known as adiponectin. This hormone is secreted by adipose tissue and is released into the bloodstream. The serum concentration of adiponectin is significantly reduced in type 2 diabetic and obese patients. A number of studies have shown that adiponectin is an insulin sensitizer by enhancing insulin sensitivity, which has the potential to be used therapeutically in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, the molecular mechanism governing adiponectin action is largely unknown.
Our current research interest is focused on 1) the elucidation of the molecular pathway(s) mediating adiponectin signaling in cells, 2) the investigation of the molecular mechanism regulating adiponectin levels in the human body, and 3) the molecular mechanism of the cross-talk between Insulin signaling pathway and Adiponectin signaling pathway. We have found that APPL1, an adaptor protein with multiple function domains, is a signaling molecule immediate binding to adiponectin receptors, and positively mediate adiponectin signaling in muscle cells (Mao et al., 2006, Nat. Cell Biol., 8:516-523). The findings from our studies will provice potential mechanisms behind insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes.