鈥淗e is amazing,鈥� said Dr. Pappachan Kolattukudy, director of the Burnett School of聽 Biomedical Sciences, who is himself a researcher in cardiovascular disease. 鈥淗e is a world-class scientist who is acknowledged by everyone in the profession. He is also a world-class scholar. It is a significant achievement for us to get someone like this.鈥�

Dr. Parthasarathy is a recognized expert in lipids who is credited with the co-discovery of a major cardiovascular concept 鈥� the fact that oxidized LDL cholesterol blocks arterial vessels in the heart. His areas of interest include arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular nutrition and heart failure. Dr. Parthasarathy has a breadth of research experience, including studies on endometriosis, aspirin therapy and heart disease related to diabetes.

His work is extensively funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), and he has received聽more than聽23,000 citations of his research findings. He belongs to an elite group — consisting of the top fraction of 1 percent — of the most highly cited authors worldwide in his field, as designated in Highly Cited Authors by ISI, the world authority in聽 the analysis of impact of research.

Dr. Kolattukudy said Florida Hospital, a College of Medicine partner, is 鈥渢hrilled鈥� with Dr. Parthasarathy鈥檚 appointment because of the opportunity to work together on translational research and clinical trials for heart disease treatments. 鈥淥ur new endowed chair really gives us the opportunity to have bench to bedside research,鈥� he said.

In addition to research, Dr. Parthasarathy will also serve as a mentor to fellow Burnett School faculty. 鈥淢y major goals are to continue my vigorous scientific research and provide mentoring, motivation and direction to junior scientists,鈥� he said.

Dr. Parthasarathy begins work at the Burnett School on Nov. 1.

A team of scientists at the 麻豆原创, led by Pappachan Kolattukudy, conducted a series of experiments with human bone marrow-derived cells. They found the protein MCPIP (Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 Induced Protein) plays a major role in the formation of osteoclasts, the cell type that鈥檚 directly responsible for bone breakdown.

Kolattukudy鈥檚 findings are published in today鈥檚 issue of the

About one in five American women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, a disease that thins bone tissue and causes loss of bone density, leading to a higher risk of fractures.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1.3 million Americans every year. It is caused by joint inflammation, and researchers now suspect the disease also begins damaging bone during its first year.

The protein – MCPIP – is linked to both.

Kolattukudy and his team first identified MCPIP in 2006 when they discovered that the protein contributes to heart disease. Three years later, they found that MCPIP also plays a role in controlling the body鈥檚 fat-building process and new blood vessel formation.

This latest research shows that MCIP also is linked to inflammation, which disrupts a body鈥檚 proper balance and leads to bone and other health problems.

鈥淏one loss (by osteoclasts) and bone building (by osteoblasts) happen all the time,鈥� Kolattukudy said.聽 鈥淚nflammation turns the balance toward bone loss.鈥�

Scientists already knew that another protein – Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1) – played a role in the development of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

But Kolattukudy鈥檚 lab has now found that MCPIP is a key player in controlling whether cells build or lose bone. This discovery opens up potential new therapeutic targets for fighting the debilitating diseases caused by bone loss.

Kolattukudy, director of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences at 麻豆原创 led a team that also includes Kangkai Wang, Jianli Niu and Hyunbae Kim all of 麻豆原创.

A protein identified in a 麻豆原创 lab has the power to suppress inflammation, a discovery that could help get to the root causes of disorders ranging from arthritis to heart disease.

The team鈥檚 findings are published in the December issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, according to a 麻豆原创 release.

A research team led by Pappachan Kolattukudy, director of the , initially discovered a particular protein called MCPIP, which has now been shown to act as suppressor of inflammation. It does this by inhibiting another protein that triggers an inflammatory response in the body.

That makes the protein an attractive target for new drug development to fight inflammatory diseases. Inflammation is an underlying problem in major chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer and obesity-induced type 2 diabetes.

Kolattukudy and his team discovered MCPIP in 2006 while researching heart disease, but they weren鈥檛 sure how it worked. The team continued to investigate the protein鈥檚 nature and found one of its key jobs is to regulate inflammation.

The next step of the research will be to find drug candidates that can promote or inhibit MCPIP function for therapeutic applications.

Kolattukudy joined 麻豆原创 in 2003 and has more than 45 years of research accomplishments. He is ranked in the top 5 percent of the most highly funded National Institutes of Health researchers in the United States during the past 25 years.

Source:聽 Orlando Business Journal,