“He is amazing,” said Dr. Pappachan Kolattukudy, director of the Burnett School of  Biomedical Sciences, who is himself a researcher in cardiovascular disease. “He is a world-class scientist who is acknowledged by everyone in the profession. He is also a world-class scholar. It is a significant achievement for us to get someone like this.”

Dr. Parthasarathy is a recognized expert in lipids who is credited with the co-discovery of a major cardiovascular concept – the fact that oxidized LDL cholesterol blocks arterial vessels in the heart. His areas of interest include arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular nutrition and heart failure. Dr. Parthasarathy has a breadth of research experience, including studies on endometriosis, aspirin therapy and heart disease related to diabetes.

His work is extensively funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), and he has received more than 23,000 citations of his research findings. He belongs to an elite group — consisting of the top fraction of 1 percent — of the most highly cited authors worldwide in his field, as designated in Highly Cited Authors by ISI, the world authority in  the analysis of impact of research.

Dr. Kolattukudy said Florida Hospital, a College of Medicine partner, is “thrilled” with Dr. Parthasarathy’s appointment because of the opportunity to work together on translational research and clinical trials for heart disease treatments. “Our new endowed chair really gives us the opportunity to have bench to bedside research,” he said.

In addition to research, Dr. Parthasarathy will also serve as a mentor to fellow Burnett School faculty. “My major goals are to continue my vigorous scientific research and provide mentoring, motivation and direction to junior scientists,” he said.

Dr. Parthasarathy begins work at the Burnett School on Nov. 1.

A team of scientists at the şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą, led by Pappachan Kolattukudy, conducted a series of experiments with human bone marrow-derived cells. They found the protein MCPIP (Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 Induced Protein) plays a major role in the formation of osteoclasts, the cell type that’s directly responsible for bone breakdown.

Kolattukudy’s findings are published in today’s issue of the

About one in five American women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, a disease that thins bone tissue and causes loss of bone density, leading to a higher risk of fractures.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1.3 million Americans every year. It is caused by joint inflammation, and researchers now suspect the disease also begins damaging bone during its first year.

The protein – MCPIP – is linked to both.

Kolattukudy and his team first identified MCPIP in 2006 when they discovered that the protein contributes to heart disease. Three years later, they found that MCPIP also plays a role in controlling the body’s fat-building process and new blood vessel formation.

This latest research shows that MCIP also is linked to inflammation, which disrupts a body’s proper balance and leads to bone and other health problems.

“Bone loss (by osteoclasts) and bone building (by osteoblasts) happen all the time,” Kolattukudy said.  “Inflammation turns the balance toward bone loss.”

Scientists already knew that another protein – Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1) – played a role in the development of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

But Kolattukudy’s lab has now found that MCPIP is a key player in controlling whether cells build or lose bone. This discovery opens up potential new therapeutic targets for fighting the debilitating diseases caused by bone loss.

Kolattukudy, director of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences at UCF led a team that also includes Kangkai Wang, Jianli Niu and Hyunbae Kim all of UCF.

A protein identified in a UCF lab has the power to suppress inflammation, a discovery that could help get to the root causes of disorders ranging from arthritis to heart disease.

The team’s findings are published in the December issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, according to a UCF release.

A research team led by Pappachan Kolattukudy, director of the , initially discovered a particular protein called MCPIP, which has now been shown to act as suppressor of inflammation. It does this by inhibiting another protein that triggers an inflammatory response in the body.

That makes the protein an attractive target for new drug development to fight inflammatory diseases. Inflammation is an underlying problem in major chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer and obesity-induced type 2 diabetes.

Kolattukudy and his team discovered MCPIP in 2006 while researching heart disease, but they weren’t sure how it worked. The team continued to investigate the protein’s nature and found one of its key jobs is to regulate inflammation.

The next step of the research will be to find drug candidates that can promote or inhibit MCPIP function for therapeutic applications.

Kolattukudy joined UCF in 2003 and has more than 45 years of research accomplishments. He is ranked in the top 5 percent of the most highly funded National Institutes of Health researchers in the United States during the past 25 years.

Source:  Orlando Business Journal,