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.
© 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
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Ana Domingos
Associate Professor of Neuroscience
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Samuel Malone
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
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Gitalee Sarker
Novo Nordisk Research Fellow
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Oliver Neely
DPhil Student in Cardiovascular Science
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Emma Haberman
IITM Wellcome Trust DPhil Student
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Conan O'Brien
BHF Cardiovascular Science DPhil Candidate
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Yitao Zhu
DPhil Student
Funders
The Domingos Lab is proud to be sponsored by the following funding bodies:
Interviews
In the media
Media coverage of Nature Medicine 2017, Nature Communications 2017, and Cell 2015: