Inflammation

graphic showing the inflammation of cells

Chronic inflammation, associated with many age-related conditions such as diabetes, obesity, sarcopenia, certain cancers and Alzheimer’s disease, is the focus of multiple teams of HNRCA researchers.  This research examines how dietary components such as fruits, vegetables, selected nutrients and healthy dietary patterns reduce oxidative stress and age-related inflammation. Other research teams are working to reduce obesity-associated inflammation through regulating specific proteins and fatty acids. Additional research involves looking at genetic factors as well as the role of gut microbiota and how sustained moderate calorie restriction may reduce inflammation.

Key research objectives

  • Determine the relationships between specific foods, nutrients, and other bioactive dietary components of dietary patterns on chronic inflammation and elements of healthy aging, such as physical, metabolic, musculoskeletal, vision, and cognitive function.
  • Conduct and analyze dietary intervention studies to validate gene-diet interactions and identify the underlying mechanisms using -omic technologies.
  • Investigate mechanistically the anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effect of phytochemical-rich whole food approaches, and purified phytochemicals as well as their derivatives, in preventing inflammation-promoted (e.g., induced by a high-sugar diet, diabetes, and aging) cancer development.

Scientists

Andrew Greenberg, MD
Weimin Guo, PhD
Paul Jacques, DSc
Stefania Lamon-Fava,MD, PhD
Simin Meydani, DVM, PhD
Jose Ordovas, PhD
Laurence Parnell, PhD
Barbara Shukitt-Hale, PhD
Xiang-Dong Wang, MD, PhD
Dayong Wu, MD, PhD
Tong Zheng, PhD