Chaurasia receives Carver grant to further insulin-resistance research

Bhagirath Chaurasia, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center, has received a three-year, $450,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. The grant will fund Chaurasia’s research program “Role of serine in development of obesity-induced insulin resistance.”

Serine—a non-essential amino acid—plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism, gluconeogenesis, one-carbon metabolism, and lipid synthesis. Serine is involved in several pathways that affect energy production in cells and provide building blocks for DNA and other important compounds and is implicated in the development of cancer.

An imbalance in these processes, such as in obesity, can lead to an excess accumulation of serine, which can create a detrimental feedback loop. In humans, higher levels of serine in the blood are linked to a lower risk of obesity and insulin resistance, and reducing serine intake through diet can help with weight loss. However, supplementing dietary serine seems to have no effect on energy use or blood sugar levels, which is not yet understood.

Chaurasia said, “The two complementary yet independent aims in this proposal seek to delineate the role of serine in the development of obesity, insulin resistance, and associated cardiometabolic disorders. We know there is a connection, but how does serine modulate these pathologies?”

Once that connection is more fully understood and how serine production influences these health issues, Chaurasia hopes that new approaches to treatment would also be uncovered. Chaurasia said he “deeply appreciates” the Carver Trust for their support of this project.

This program will expand on previous studies on obesity and its impact on metabolism. In 2021, Chaurasia received a four-year, $545,100 Junior Faculty Development Award from the American Diabetes Association to fund his exploration of ceramide synthesis and its impact on health. This followed an earlier study, in which his team found that inhibiting ceramide synthesis reduced obesity and insulin resistance in mice, suggesting that targeting ceramides might be a viable therapy for treating related conditions.