Vihang Narkar
Professor
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
McGovern Medical School
Institute of Molecular Medicine
Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases
My laboratory is primarily interested in investigating nuclear hormone receptors as potential therapeutic targets in skeletal muscle associated diseases. Currently we are focused on estrogen-related receptors. We have so far demonstrated that these receptors transcriptionally regulate fundamental processes such as mitochondrial biogenesis/dynamics, angiogenesis and cell proliferation/differentiation.
We are performing translational studies targeting estrogen-related receptors in aging, obesity/diabetes, critical limb ischemia, muscular dystrophies and cancer cachexia, which are complications associated with skeletal muscle dysfunction. Our overarching hypothesis is that estrogen-related receptors through regulation of metabolic, angiogenic and regenerative genes promotes muscle homeostasis, exercise fitness, and disease mitigation.
We use wide-ranging tools including genetically engineered mice, murine pre-clinical disease models, high-throughput gene expression analysis (e.g., RNA-sequencing, ChIP-sequencing), nuclear receptor pharmacology, and molecular cell biology in our studies. These tools are being used to determine role of estrogen-related receptors and other nuclear receptors in (I) genome-wide transcriptional regulation, mitochondrial regulation, metabolism and angiogenesis; (II) physiological phenomenon such as exercise fitness and aging; as well as (III) muscle diseases. Fot example, our recent work has successfully uncovered the therapeutic role of estrogen-related receptors (ERR’s) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal genetic disease.
Our research has been published in journals such as Cell, Cell Metabolism, Cell Reports, Circulation Research, FASEB Journal, Molecular and Cellular Biology and Nature Communications. My laboratory is suitable for students interested in molecular, translational and pharmacological research in skeletal muscle degenerative conditions related to aging, obesity, diabetes, ischemia and cancer.
Education & Training
Ph.D. - University of Houston, College of Pharmacy - 2002