Rabinovitch, Peter

The focus of Dr. Rabinovitch’s laboratory research is on the use of transgenic mouse models and pharmacological treatments to examine the effects of cell signaling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) on lifespan and healthspan.  Transgenic mice that overexpress catalase have been found to be protected against multiple health challenges, including cardiac aging, sarcopenia and some cancers. The cardioprotection phenotype extend to experimental models of angiotensin II, G alpa q and pressure overload stresses, all of which appear to be dependent on generation of mitochondrial ROS. This protection is closely recapitulated by the mitochondrial "antioxidant" peptide drug SS-31.The interrelationships of mitochondrial ROS and mitochondrial damage with cell signaling pathways that mediate improved healthspan, including resistance to cardiac hypertrophy and failure, are thus of central interest to the laboratory. Methods being pursued include study by transcriptomics and peroteomics. As the mTOR pathway is a strong candidate in this linkage, we are also using rapamycin treatment and transgenic mice with altered mTOR signaling to explore this relationship.