Tune H Pers and Greg Morton secure a DKK 17 million Multi-PI R01 grant from the NIH
The project seeks to identify and characterize different subsets of AgRP neurons, which are key targets for understanding and treating cardiometabolic diseases. The grant is split evenly between the Pers Group at CBMR and the Morton Laboratory, University of Washington.
Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons, located in the hypothalamus, play a central role in the body’s energy balance system by regulating glucose and energy control. The current dogma is that all AgRP neurons are the same. However, recent findings suggest that they can be divided into distinct transcriptional subsets, which might be directing different functions in metabolism and behavior.
CBMR’s Associate Professor Tune H Pers is now teaming up with Drs. Gregory J. Morton and Michael W Schwartz from the University of Washington to identify and characterize different subsets of AgRP neurons. Together, they have received a USD 2.4M (DKK 17M) Multi-PI R01 grant from the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) for this project, which well help to better understand how to target these neurons for understanding and treating cardiometabolic diseases.
“The R01 grant with Drs. Greg Morton and Michael W. Schwartz allows us to take a close look at how heterogeneity in crucial AgRP neurons impacts organismal energy homeostasis. We have a long-standing collaboration and the NIH grant allows us to follow up on some our previous collaborative work. This is super exciting,” says Associate Professor Tune H Pers.
Potential for new therapeutic strategies to combat cardiometabolic diseases
The diversity of AgRP neurons suggests a complex regulatory system where different neuron subsets could be linked to specific metabolic pathways and behaviors, such as those related to obesity and, indirectly, to diabetes. In obesity research, these neurons have been a focal point because their activity correlates strongly with increased food intake and reduced energy expenditure – key drivers of obesity.
By mapping the specific actions and connections of these subsets, researchers can gain deeper insights into the fundamental mechanisms of energy homeostasis. This knowledge could lead to the development of more precise and effective interventions that target specific neuronal pathways, offering hope for new therapeutic strategies to combat obesity and potentially mitigate related metabolic disorders like diabetes.
“Ultimately our analyses may serve as a foundation to better understand how to modulate energy and glucose-homeostatic pathways independently from each other – findings that could inform more precise treatments of patients living with cardiometabolic disease.”