MUSCLE FATTY ACID METABOLISM

MANIPULATING FATTY ACID METABOLISM
TO PREVENT AND REVERSE METABOLIC DISEASE

Excessive fatty acid oxidation is a cornerstone in the development of insulin resistance, diabetes, and fatty liver disease, yet the entirety of the fatty acid oxidation pathway remains unknown. Moreover, the therapeutic potential of specifically targeting fatty acid oxidation to improve insulin resistance, muscle function, and liver disease remains to be established in part due to the many unknowns surrounding the metabolic nuances of fat use for bionenergetics.  Ellis Lab’s work is focused on determining the role of fatty acid oxidation in the development and the reversal of skeletal muscle and liver metabolic and physiological disfunction. For these investigations, the lab uses several mouse models to determine how activating or inhibiting muscle fatty acid oxidation at specific points in this pathway can protect against or reverse high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance and fatty liver. The long-term goal of this work is to improve the lives and prevent health complications in the rapidly growing metabolically compromised  population. This work will provide mechanistic insight into the metabolic underpinnings of metabolic disease and will ultimately shape therapeutic strategies to reverse metabolic disease.