Enzymes that process fatty acids and may affect blood pressure, brain injury, and cancer
STUDIES ON FATTY ACID METABOLIZING CYTOCHROME P450 ENZYMES
This project looks at enzymes that change fatty acids to learn how they affect conditions like high blood pressure, traumatic brain injury, and some cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332638 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
My team studies a group of enzymes called CYP4F that modify fatty acids and produce a signaling molecule named 20-HETE. We will compare the different CYP4F enzyme versions using biochemical tests, structural analyses, and experiments in cells and animal models. We will connect each enzyme's activity to processes that control blood pressure and to disease models such as brain injury and lung and other cancers. The aim is to identify which enzyme versions drive disease so they can be targeted more precisely by future drugs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with hypertension, recent traumatic brain injury, or lung cancer could be candidates for future patient-based studies, sample donation, or related clinical research from this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions are unrelated to CYP4F enzymes or 20-HETE signaling are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new, more precise drug targets that help lower blood pressure, reduce damage after brain injury, or treat certain cancers.
How similar studies have performed: In animal models, blocking enzymes that make 20-HETE improved outcomes in hypertension, brain injury, and cancer, but selectively targeting individual CYP4F isoforms is largely untested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brixius-Anderko, Simone — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Brixius-Anderko, Simone
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.