Raul Mostoslavsky, MD, PhDBACK

Assistant Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School

SIRT6, a Chromatin Regulator of Glucose Homeostasis and Genomic Stability

Dr. Mostoslavsky will investigate whether SIRT6 modulates glucose metabolism and DNA repair and whether this function is important in modulating aging and age-related diseases. Cells require glucose to provide energy for metabolic activity and are able to trigger an adaptive response to ensure their survival under conditions of nutrient stress. Recent research on the beneficial effects of the sirtuins on lifespan has focused on lower organisms, but it is not clear if those results will translate to mammals. Dr. Mostoslavsky will try to define the molecular function of the SIRT6 protein in glucose homeostasis and DNA repair. Understanding this process could provide an opportunity to control its activity, possibly offering therapeutic benefits against type II diabetes, cancer, and other common diseases of aging.