petersr

The focus of Dr. Rabinovitch’s laboratory research is on the use of genetically altered mouse models 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 extends 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. 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. As the mTOR pathway is a strong candidate in this linkage, we are using transgenic mice with altered mTOR signaling to explore this relationship.