Faculty

Enrique Saez 
Assistant Professor
CHEMICAL PHYSIOLOGY
TSRI - 2006

Education 
Ph.D. Harvard University, 1995
A.B. Princeton University, 1990

Awards & Activities 
1986-1989 The Allen Williamson Talley Memorial Scholarship, Princeton University
1989-1990 Richard B. Carter Trust Fellowship, Harvard University
1995-1996 American Diabetes Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
1997-2000 Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship

Research Focus 
Our lab is interested in two broad themes related to the regulation of energy balance in mammals:

Nuclear receptors as nutrient sensors - Nuclear receptors are ligand-activated transcription factors that sense dietary components such as lipids, vitamins and cholesterol derivatives. We are interested in identifying novel nutrient signaling pathways that involve nuclear receptors. Using high-throughput cell based and biochemical screens as well as a variety of animal models we hope to discover diet-derived physiological signaling pathways.

Genetic regulation of energy storage - Excess energy is stored in adipose tissue. We are using genomic and chemical approaches to identify novel genetic regulators of adipose tissue formation and to examine their role in metabolic disease.

By enhancing our understanding of how diet influences gene expression and the genetic regulation of energy balance, we aim to uncover novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Selected References 
Mitro, N., Mak, P., Vargas, L., Godio, C., Hampton, E., Molteni, V., Kresuch, A. and Saez, E. The nuclear receptor LXR is a glucose sensor. Nature 2007, 445: 219-23.

Waki, H., Park, K.W., Mitro, N., Pei, L., Damoiseaux, R., Wilpitz, D.C., Reue, K., Saez, E. and P. Tontonoz. The Small Molecule Harmine Is an Antidiabetic Cell-Type-Specific Regulator of PPARγ Expression. Cell Metabolism 2007, 5: 357-70.

Molteni, V.M., Li, X., Nabakka, J., Liang, F., Ellis, D., Wityak, J., Koder, A., Vargas, L., Romeo, R., Mitro, N., Seidel, M., Haslam, J.A., Tuntland, T., Spalding, T.A., Bradley, M., Castrillo, A., Tontonoz, P. and Saez, E. 2007. N-Acylthiadiazolines, a new class of LXR agonists with selectivity for LXRβ. J Med Chem, in press.

Mitro, N., Vargas, L., Romeo, R., Koder, A., and Saez, E. T0901317 is a potent PXR ligand: Implications for the biology ascribed to LXR. FEBS Lett. 2007, 581: 1721-6.