Mission
To improve nutrient absorption in the small intestine by better understanding how stomach emptying is regulated by protein Mfge8.
Perrino Lab
Key areas of focus
- The signaling pathways regulating cellular responses to external signals, with a research focus on the regulation of myosin phosphatase activity in smooth muscles by upstream Ser/Thr protein kinases.
- How a secreted protein called Mfge8 regulates stomach emptying, which affects nutrient absorption in the small intestine.
- Further understanding how Mfge8 inhibits Rho kinase, which results in a reduced rate of stomach emptying.
Lab team
Brian Perrino, Ph.D., assistant professor of Physiology and Cell Biology, specializes cellular regulation of upper gastrointestinal (GI) motility. The Perrino Lab studies how Mfge8 acts as a brake on stomach muscle contractions by inhibiting Rho kinase, resulting in decreased force of gastric muscle contractions to reduce the rate of stomach emptying. These findings raise the intriguing possibility that a drug that mimics the inhibitory actions of Mfge8 on gastric emptying might also be effective for promoting weight loss.
- Brian Perrino, Ph.D.: Principal Investigator
Notable research findings
- Identification of pericytes within the stomach as the cells that express Mfge8, specifically, pericytes that also express the transcription factor Mef2c.
- Found that Mef2c-positive pericytes appear to be a novel subtype of pericytes which have now been implicated in regulating stomach muscle contractions and stomach emptying.
- This discovery opens doors to potential therapeutic applications for promoting weight loss.
Equipment, technology and techniques
- Jess
- Confocal Immunofluorescence Microscopy
- Spatial Transcriptomics utilizing RNAscope
Active grants and research projects
- Control of motility in the lower esophageal sphincter
- Award: 1R01DK129528-01
- Funding organization: National Institute of Health (NIH) - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)