Download Growth Factor Receptor Signaling and Biology in Nervous System Development and Metabolic Regulation

NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering
Research Project Write-up
Title of Project :
Growth Factor Receptor Signaling and Biology in
Nervous System Development and Metabolic Regulation
Name of Supervisor :
Carlos Ibanez
Contact Details:
[email protected]
Short Description
With a focus on growth factor receptor signalling, the aim of this research is to
discover novel, general biological principles and mechanisms important for nervous
system development and metabolic regulation.
We plan to concentrate the main thrust of our future work on two programmes that
complement and expand current areas of expertise. The first one focuses on the
mechanisms of action and biological activities of the death receptor p75NTR (p75
neurotrophin receptor), and reflects our continued interest in neuronal growth factors,
their signalling mechanisms and their potential for the development of novel therapies
for neurodegenerative diseases and neurotrauma. This is a program that involves
signal transduction studies, mouse genetics approaches, and a drug discovery effort to
identify novel p75NTR inhibitors.
The second program focuses on the role of a novel regulatory network, formed by
members of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF- ) superfamily and their
receptors, in the control of glucose homeostasis, fat accumulation and energy balance.
It is based on our original discovery of the TGF- superfamily receptor ALK7 and
our recent studies on the functions of activin signalling through ALK7 and ALK4 in
pancreatic islets, adipose tissue, and hypothalamus. This program offers a new inroad
to the study of metabolic regulation and involves complementary studies in cell
culture as well as conditional and knock-in mouse models.