March 30, 2016
Researchers at SBP have identified a protein complex that is required for conversion of “bad” white fat to “good” brown fat. The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could help treat metabolic disorders such as obesity. Continue reading “Generating good fat by pushing the right buttons”
December 21, 2015
“Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Over 60 percent of the population can be classified as overweight or obese, placing them at risk for a large number of chronic diseases, including insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes,” says Sheila Collins, PhD, professor at SBP’s Lake Nona campus.
“There is a critical need for novel approaches to treating obesity—in particular, agents acting to increase energy expenditure would be valuable.”
Read the article in the Orlando Sentinel by Naseem S. Miller about how Collins is studying hormones produced by the heart to prevent obesity and possibly the myriad of disorders that come with it.
November 19, 2015
This article was written by guest blogger Crystal Woodard, PhD
Can your heart prevent diabetes? Being overweight or obese is currently deemed the single best predictor of type 2 diabetes. With the prevalence of obesity on the rise, estimates suggest that one in three American adults could have type 2 diabetes by 2050. Weight loss is key to preventing this epidemic. At SBP, scientists are investigating how hormones released by the heart may help the body burn more calories to prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes.
What color is your fat? All fat is not created equal. Excess weight is held in energy-storing fat cells called white adipose tissue as well as energy-burning fat cells called brown adipose tissue. Increasing a person’s brown fat could improve the risks associated with obesity.
Two compounds released by the heart in response to high blood pressure—human atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)—have been found to play a direct role in “browning” white adipose tissue. By browning, white fat starts to burn more calories, mimicking what occurs in brown fat. Sheila Collins, PhD, professor in the Integrative Metabolism Program and her research team, are investigating how these natriuretic peptides activate fat browning with the goal of tapping into the process to help promote weight loss and prevent diabetes.
In collaboration with Dr. Richard Pratley at the Florida Hospital – SBP Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes, the teams are conducting clinical trials with obese and lean volunteers to test whether BNP can increase energy expenditure and improve glucose tolerance. Since recombinant human BNP is an FDA-approved drug prescribed for acute heart failure patients, the costs, and development and approval times for using BNP for these conditions may be reduced.
How does BNP work? Investigators in Italy almost 20 years ago discovered that binding sites for BNP, called natriuretic peptide receptors (NPRs), were expressed in human adipose tissue. The natriuretic peptide ‘signaling’ receptor, NPRA, binds the natriuretic peptides, while the natriuretic peptide ‘clearance’ receptor, NPRC, removes them from circulation. Since then, several studies have reported that BNP levels are lower in the blood of obese patients compared to their lean counterparts. Additional research suggests BNP can lead to increased release of adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing hormone produced by fat cells and that low levels of BNP in the bloodstream might contribute to insulin resistance.
According to Collins, “Early studies proposed that increased clearance is responsible for the lower peptide levels observed in obese individuals in comparison to lean individuals; however, there are no definitive studies to actually prove this or not. Important efforts are currently underway to understand how NPRs are regulated and how the peptides can be best used for their fat-burning capacity.”
Dr. Sheila Collins is a professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) in Lake Nona, Fla. and a recipient of an American Diabetes Association research award. Dr. Richard Pratley is a senior investigator at the Florida Hospital – SBP Translational Research Institute, Medical Director of the Florida Hospital Diabetes Institute, and adjunct professor at SBP in Lake Nona. This post was written by Crystal Woodard, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Collins’s lab.
August 17, 2015
Every day we read or hear something about a food that is bad for us, a fruit that will help us lose weight, or a supplement that will extend our lives beyond their natural endpoint. Unquestionably, every year a significant amount of money, research, and time is spent exploring the cause and prevention of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and the myriad of other metabolic conditions that affect our health and well-being. But what do scientists think are the truly important things we have learned about our metabolism, diet, and exercise over the last decade? And how is this leading to the next-generation of medicines to treat metabolic disorders? Continue reading “10 years of studying metabolism, nutrition, and human energy—what have we REALLY learned?”
January 9, 2015
We’re excited to announce that Sanford-Burnham’s Sheila Collins, PhD, professor in the Metabolic Disease Program, will be participating in the Enzian Theater’s “Science on Screen” event on January 24 in Orlando (Maitland), Fla. Dr. Collins will discuss her work studying metabolic disease and how far we’ve come in finding treatments for diabetes and its complications. After her 15-minute talk, the audience will watch the movie “Steel Magnolias,” featuring Julia Roberts, Sally Field, and Dolly Parton. After the movie, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, either related to diabetes in the movie or the topic of metabolic disease as a whole. Continue reading “Science on Screen: Join us in Orlando on January 24”