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Domingos Group

We investigate neuroimmune molecular mechanisms underlying obesity.

The Domingos laboratory researches neuroimmune mechanisms underlying obesity. They discovered neuro-adipose junctions, between white adipocytes and sympathetic neurons, that are necessary and sufficient for fat mass reduction via norepinephrine (NE) signalling. Moreover, they discovered Sympathetic neuron-Associated Macrophages (SAMs) that import and metabolize NE. Abrogation of SAM function promotes long-term amelioration of obesity independently of food intake. These findings inspired the development of a new class of anti-obesity compounds named sympathofacilitators, which do not enter the brain, nor have the typical cardiovascular side effects of centrally acting sympathomimetic drugs.  Sympathofacilitator drugs act as an energy sink by coupling thermogenesis to active heat dissipation. Ana Domingos is a member of the advisory board of Cell Metabolism and her lab has been funded by HHMI, Wellcome Trust, ERC, HFSP, EMBO, among others.

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© Guttenplan, Kevin A. et al. (2018) Play It Again, SAM: Macrophages Control Peripheral Fat Metabolism, Trends in Immunology, and Conor A. Bradley (2017). Specialized macrophages contribute to obesity. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 

 

© Lady Margaret Hall / Dominik Osvald / www.dominikosvald.com

Our team

Recent publications

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Funders

The Domingos Lab is proud to be sponsored by the following funding bodies:

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Interviews

In the media

Media coverage of Nature Medicine 2017, Nature Communications 2017, and Cell 2015:

DPAG News

Updating the circuit maps of the sympathetic neural network

A new review from Professor Ana Domingos’ lab and colleagues offers a fresh modern viewpoint on sympathetic neurons and their relation to immune cells and obesity.

New Pfizer grant paves the way to a better understanding of how body fat is controlled

Professor Ana Domingos has been awarded a highly competitive independent research grant from Pfizer to discover ‘the role of Sympathetic-associated Perineurial barrier Cells in obesity’.

DPAG has two new Professors

Congratulations are in order to Ana Domingos and Nicola Smart who have been awarded the title of Professor in the recent Recognition of Distinction round.

Ana Domingos Awarded Carl Ludwig Distinguished Lectureship Award

Congratulations are in order for Associate Professor Ana Domingos, who has been awarded the 2023 Carl Ludwig Distinguished Lectureship from the American Physiological Society.

Ana Domingos appointed Editor-in-Chief for distinguished American Physiological Society journal

Congratulations are in order to Associate Professor Ana Domingos on her appointment as Editor-in-Chief for the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism.

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Related research themes

We host a number of internationally recognised neuroscience groups, with expertise in a wide range of experimental and computational methods.
Neuroscience

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We use the full range of modern molecular genetic and imaging techniques to study a range of metabolic areas.
Metabolism & Endocrinology

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We play a leading role in the development of more efficient and cost-effective sequencing technologies.
Functional Genomics

We play a leading role in the development of more ...