Over the last several years we have focused on the exciting developing role of the tryptophan metabolite Kynurenine (KYN) and it’s signaling through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway in aging and disease. We have a patent portfolio and have spun off a start-up drug delivery company, SpheroFill, LLC.
Our lab has a strong clinical translational and tech transfer focus.
We are also interested in aging effects of the Kynurenine pathway on different organ systems including musculoskeletal and CNS. This not only has an impact on bone biology with aging, but has implications in many other areas, such as immunology and cancer biology. We also study the role of the cytokine CXCL12 and its proteolytic metabolites that have separate cryptic biological activity. One of the primary areas of research is age-associated changes in the epigenetic regulation of stem cells, in particular miRNAS and Hdacs. This includes age-associated bone homeostasis, autophagy and senescence. My lab focuses on aging, in particular in relationship to stem cells and tissue function.
