Novel small molecules to target an ectopic olfactory receptor treat opioid overdose and cardiovascular disease
Andy Chang, Professor
UC San Francisco
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2023 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2024.
The carotid body is a mammalian chemoreceptor that senses changes in blood oxygen to regulate breathing. However, carotid body becomes hyperactive in chronic diseases like hypertension, sleep apnea, chronic heart failure, and metabolic syndrome, and ablation of carotid body activity improves symptoms like hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, and insulin resistance. We are developing small molecule antagonists of a G protein-coupled receptor of the olfactory receptor family expressed highly in the carotid body to regulate its activity as a pharmacological method to silence carotid body activity to treat these diseases. We are especially focused on identifying and characterizing novel agonists to stimulate this receptor and carotid body activity to treat respiratory depression caused by opioid overdose.
Qualifications: This project will involve experiments in cell culture, primary tissue, or animals. Students should have a background and interest in biochemistry, cell biology, physiology, and/or neuroscience.
Please note that students will commute to UCSF.
Hours: 12 or more hours
Off-Campus Research Site: University of California, San Francisco Cardiovascular Research Institute 555 Mission Bay Blvd S Room 384 San Francisco, CA 94158
Related website: http://
Biological & Health Sciences