Junctophilin-2's role in brown fat and body weight

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

You may have brown fat that helps burn calories by making heat, and researchers found a muscle protein called junctophilin-2 (JP2) is also present in those brown fat cells. The team will use gene-delivery tools (AAV) and laboratory models to raise or lower JP2 and watch how brown fat cells handle calcium, produce heat, and affect overall metabolism. Early work showed JP2 goes down with diet-induced obesity, so the researchers will connect those molecular changes to body weight and blood sugar in their models. The goal is to learn whether changing JP2 could be a path toward therapies that increase energy use in people with obesity and adult-onset diabetes.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Iowa City VA Medical Center
  Iowa City, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Song, Long-Sheng — Iowa City VA Medical Center
• Study coordinator: Song, Long-Sheng

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About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.