How cells recycle fats to support health
Mechanisms and functions of lipid recycling for cellular metabolism
Researchers are working to understand how cells recycle and use fats and how that affects cancer and heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251769 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, the team is looking inside cells to see how tiny fat stores called lipid droplets are broken down and reused. They will follow a recently discovered lipophagy receptor and watch how fats move between cell parts using lab-grown cells, molecular tools, and high-resolution imaging. The researchers will test how these recycling pathways change under different metabolic conditions and in models relevant to cancer and cardiovascular disease. Their experiments focus on the basic cell mechanisms that could later point to new treatments or diagnostics.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers or cardiovascular diseases who are willing to provide tissue, blood samples, or participate in future translational studies would be most relevant.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate clinical treatments or those without conditions tied to lipid metabolism are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets to prevent harmful fat buildup or to disrupt cancer and heart disease processes linked to lipid metabolism.
How similar studies have performed: Previous basic research has identified components of lipophagy and lipid trafficking, but the detailed regulatory mechanisms remain emerging and this work builds on recent discoveries.
Where this research is happening
Cambridge, United States
- Harvard University — Cambridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chung, Jeeyun — Harvard University
- Study coordinator: Chung, Jeeyun
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.