Junctophilin-2's role in brown fat and body weight
Junctophilin- 2 in brown Adipocyte Metabolic Regulation and Obesity
Looks at whether changing levels of a protein called junctophilin-2 in brown fat can help people with obesity and adult-onset (type 2) diabetes burn more energy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa City VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11206883 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with obesity and adult-onset (type 2) diabetes are the most relevant group for this line of research and potential future therapies.
Not a fit: Those without metabolic disease, children, or people with autoimmune (type 1) diabetes are less likely to benefit from JP2-targeted approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that boost brown fat activity to help with weight loss and better blood sugar control.
How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown that activating brown fat can improve metabolism in animal studies, but targeting JP2 is a new and largely untested approach.
Where this research is happening
Iowa City, United States
- 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
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.