How fat cells control energy with nuclear receptor helpers
Official title: Mechanisms of transcriptional control of adipocyte formation and function through nuclear receptor coactivators
Funded at Rockefeller University · NIH-11405009 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how fat cells regulate energy storage and burning by coordinating transcription with special coactivators to influence obesity-related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $773,112 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK144459-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11405009 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with metabolic conditions linked to obesity or insulin resistance who may benefit from future therapies derived from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without metabolic risk factors may not directly benefit from this basic science project.
What this research studies
Researchers at Rockefeller University plan experiments in mice to understand how transcriptional cofactors, including Mediator complex components and nuclear receptor partners, control fat cell development and function. They will map how different coactivators affect gene enhancers in white and brown/beige fat, and how this impacts energy storage and heat production. The goal is to uncover mechanisms that could be targeted to treat obesity, insulin resistance, and related cardiovascular diseases. The work combines molecular biology, genetics, and animal models to link basic transcription science to metabolic health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A deeper understanding of fat cell regulation could lead to new approaches for treating obesity and metabolic diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that transcriptional cofactors influence adipocyte function, suggesting this approach could yield meaningful insights, though mechanistic details are still being worked out.
Where this research is happening
-
Rockefeller University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roeder, Robert G — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Roeder, Robert G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cells organize into organized tissues to form organs
Researchers are studying how human-like cells in a lab can self-organize within a scaffold to form orderly tissue patterns, which could illuminate how organs such as skin and bones develop.
-
Modeling Ataxia Telangiectasia in a human stem cell model of Purkinje cells
Researchers are creating a patient-derived, human cell model of Purkinje cells to understand why this brain disease causes cerebellar degeneration in people with Ataxia Telangiectasia.
-
Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
-
Understanding how mycobacterial transcription works to guide better TB drugs
Researchers will study how the RNA polymerase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related bacteria start, pause, and finish copying genetic information, with the goal of informing new antibiotic strategies against TB.
-
How chromosomes stay true when cells divide in cancer research
Researchers are studying how chromosomes are accurately copied and distributed during cell division to understand and potentially prevent cancer.
-
Marmoset model of Huntington's disease shows how symptoms relate to brain and behavior
A researcher at a top university is studying how Huntington's disease affects brain signals and behavior in marmosets to better understand the human condition.
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.