The Division of Endocrinology's current grant-supported basic research includes:

• Dr. Veronica M. Catanese's investigation of the pathogenesis of HIV protease-inhibitor-associated lipodystrophy and hyperlipidemia, using molecular, biological, and clinical/translational approaches. Dr. Catanese's group is also working on dissecting the pathways signaling the hypertrophic vs. sclerotic phenotypes in mesangial cells, characterizing and isolating an IGF-dependent BP4 protease, and de?ning the mechanism by which IGF-I promotes TGF-beta activation in the kidney.
• Dr. David L. Kleinberg's long-standing and productive work on the control of mammary gland development. He and his group were responsible for demonstrating that growth hormone and prolactin are separate molecules in human beings, and that prolactin is an important hormone in clinical endocrine disorders, such as pituitary tumors. They then went on to demonstrate that mammary development was largely controlled by growth hormone and IGF-1, while the role of prolactin was mainly that of lactogenesis.
• Dr. David Ron's work on the cellular response to proteotoxic stress, and the impact of malfolded proteins on such diseases as type 2 diabetes.
• Dr. Herbert H. Samuels's nationally and internationally recognized investigation of the mechanism of action of thyroid hormone, and the conserved elements of gene regulation by members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. He and his group have de?ned DNA-protein interactions and protein-protein interactions that regulate control of gene transcription in response to thyroid hormone and retinoic acid. Dr. Samuels's interests extend to delineation of basic molecular mechanisms involved in thyroid hormone resistance syndromes and interaction of the T3-thyroid hormone receptor complex with the HIV-1 promoter.

Division faculty members are also active in grant-supported clinical investigations, such as:

• Dr. Catanese's pilot study designed to assess the effects of thiazolidinediones (and activation of the PPAR-gamma nuclear receptor system) on protease-inhibitor-associated hypertriglyceridemia
• Dr. Ann Danoff's work as co-investigator on the NIH Women's Interagency HIV Study, investigating HIV-associated metabolic dysfunction
• Dr. Kleinberg's long-term involvement in multiple investigator-initiated single and multicenter studies evaluating new methods for detecting and treating acromegaly and adult GH de?ciency
• Dr. Stephen B. Richardson's work as principal investigator for several multicenter studies on newer therapies for type 2 diabetes and macrovascular disease in insulin-resistant patients.