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A $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will fund exploration into how meal composition and frequency affects cardiovascular disease risk, the latest focus of Dr. Jean-Marc Schwarz and his research team at Touro University California.
The NIH grant award is among several research milestones at Touro University California during 2013. Others included the awarding of a U.S. patent and a research article being ranked among the top 10 of its type in the world.
The patent was granted through the work of Dr. Miriam Gochin and Dr. Guangyan Zhou, who developed a new class of compounds that show encouraging activity against fusion of the HIV-1 virus with cells. If found safe in further studies and clinical trials, these kinds of compounds could prove beneficial as alternative therapies for AIDS.
The top 10 ranking recognized an article by Dr. Alejandro Gugliucci about how “good cholesterol,” or HDL, functions in the body. He and his team were the first to study function and concentration of HDL subclasses with just a few microliters of serum. Findings presented in the article were also presented at annual research conferences held by the European Atherosclerosis Society and Israel Atherosclerosis Society in 2012.
The NIH grant, patent and top 10 article represent a small sampling of research activity at Touro University California. Located on Mare Island and established in 1997, Touro University California belongs to the Touro College and University System comprised of Jewish-sponsored nonprofit institutions of higher and professional education.
Schwarz’s previous research into the toxicity of high-fructose corn syrup attracted international news media coverage during the past two years. His latest research, which the NIH grant will fund over a five-year period, could potentially develop evidence-based interventions and dietary guidance to mitigate cardiovascular disease risk, while also helping rethink nutritional advice and policy.
The grant was awarded through the Touro University California’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. It will help provide new information on how two different diets (one high in sugar versus the other high in fat) and two different meal frequencies (small frequent meals versus large meals) affect lipid (fatty acids or their derivatives) production after a meal, as well as overall lipid profiles that affect the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The past few decades heralded an era of high carbohydrate diets, some of which are now known to worsen lipid profiles and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Both diet composition and meal frequency affect lipid synthesis and kinetics, but the specific mechanisms remain unsettled.
The research is entitled “Lipogenesis, Lipoprotein Flux and Cardiovascular Risk: Role of Meal Composition and Frequency.” Dr. Schwarz’s research team includes fellow Touro University California researcher Dr. Gugliucci, along with USCF researchers Dr. Kathy Mulligan as co-principal investigator; Dr. Morris Schambelan; Dr. Susan Noworowlsky, and postdoctoral fellows, consultants and research associates at UCSF and Touro University California. For more information about research at Touro University California, visit research.tu.edu.
Located in Vallejo on Mare Island, Touro University California is a Jewish-sponsored institution that offers graduate degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, public health and education. The mission of Touro University California is to educate caring professionals to serve, to lead and to teach. Students from diverse backgrounds are recruited nationally to create a dynamic, robust learning environment. Touro University California is also active within its home community and supports internationally recognized research. For more information, visit tu.edu.