Exercise

Physical exercise is great for our health. So much so that low exercise capacity is in itself a predictor of premature mortality. However, not everybody gets the same benefits from exercise, and some of us have to work much harder to get there. In this study, we try to understand why and identify genes associated with inherent exercise capacity and response to endurance training.

Exercise can prevent or treat mild to moderate cases of stress-induced depression, although the mechanisms weren’t known. We found one mechanism that protects the brain from changes elicited by unpredictable stress, which are associated with the development of depression. In brief, if you train your muscles (through aerobic exercise), they acquire the capacity to filter out of the blood a molecule called kynurenine. Kynurenine is known to increase in circulation under stress and to accumulate in the brain, where it correlates with the development of depression.

This is a review article that summarizes current knowledge on how some nutrients obtained from food play a dual role in human health: they provide energy and building blocks for cells and tissues, but they also constitute important messengers that can impact mental health or how an organism decides to store energy or use it

The amino acid tryptophan, which we get from food since our bodies cannot make it, has many different roles in the human body. We need it to make new proteins, but it is mostly used to generate many other molecules with different biological activities. From serotonin – that regulates mood, to melatonin – that regulates sleep, to a group of compounds called kynurenines that regulate many different processes in the body. This review summarizes what we known about the many roles of kynurenines

The answer might be hidden in what we call The Dark Side of the genome.

Find out what other things your protein shakes might be doing to you in addition to helping growing your muscles. Aminoacids in them are not just inert building blocks, they have biological functions on their own. And sometimes they might not have the same intentions as you expect them to.

When you go hiking in the mountains, or try to catch a bus that is just departing, you body has to deal with insufficient supply of oxygen. In addition to pathways described in recent Nobel prize awards, we have discovered new players that could be used in development of treatments for conditions where oxygen supply is important such as stroke.

How nerves communicate to metabolic tissues such as muscle and fat. This project aims to understand how metabolic disease or exercise adaptation affect our sensory nerves.