2017

Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty


Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego

The relationship of gut luminal dynamics and aging-related circadian dysfunction and dysmetabolism

With age, the incidence of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome increases. These diseases contribute significantly to age-related morbidity and mortality.

Of the multiple genetic and environmental factors that are responsible for these metabolic issues (or dysmetabolism), the disruption of circadian rhythms and the gut microbiome both, independently, contribute significantly.

Circadian rhythms—our bodies’ internal clocks—are vital for normal metabolic function. In young mice, the disruption of circadian rhythms has been directly linked to dysmetabolism. And the gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in the intestines—has regular cyclical changes that are vital for maintaining normal circadian and metabolic rhythms.

But as we age, circadian rhythms decline, and the composition of the gut microbiome changes. Dr. Zarrinpar and his team will explore this relationship between the gut microbiome, metabolism, and age. The team will also investigate whether restoring normal cyclical properties to the gut microbiome of aged mice has any metabolic benefits. Their ultimate goal is to find a way to reverse some of the negative consequences of aging through the gut microbiome.Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD

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