Our Research and Innovations
Structural Analysis of Adipose Tissue using Digital Automation
The pathological expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT) in obesity involves adipocyte hypertrophy accompanied by expansion of collagen-rich pericellular extracellular matrix (ECM) and the development of crown-like structures (CLS). Traditionally, WAT morphology is assessed through immunohistochemical analysis of WAT sections. However, manual analysis of large histological sections is time-consuming, and available digital tools for analyzing adipocyte size and pericellular ECM are limited. In collaboration with Philipp Scherer's and Michael Jensen's labs, we developed the Adipose Tissue Analysis Toolkit (ATAT), an ImageJ plugin facilitating analysis of adipocyte size, WAT ECM and CLS.
Recent publications
Adipose Tissue Analysis Toolkit (ATAT) for Automated Analysis of Adipocyte Size and Extracellular Matrix in White Adipose Tissue
Jacob J Robino, Alexander Plekhanov, Qingzhang Zhu, Michael D Jensen, Philipp E Scherer, Charles T Roberts Jr, Oleg Varlamov
Obesity, In Press
Adipocyte mesenchymal transition contributes to mammary tumor progression
Cell Reports Sep 13, 2022
Qingzhang Zhu, Yi Zhu, Chelsea Hepler, Qianbin Zhang, Jiyoung Park, Christy Gliniak, Gervaise H. Henry, Clair Crewe, Dawei Bu, Zhuzhen Zhang, Shangang Zhao, Thomas Morley, Na Li, Dae Seok Kim, Douglas Strand, Yingfeng Deng, Jacob J. Robino, Oleg Varlamov, Ruth Gordillo, Mikhail G. Kolonin, Christine M. Kusminski, Rana K. Gupta, Philipp E. Scherer
Deficient Caveolin-1 Synthesis in Adipocytes Stimulates Systemic Insulin-Independent Glucose Uptake via Extracellular Vesicles
Diabetes Dec 2022
Clair Crewe, Shiuhwei Chen, Dawei Bu, Christy M. Gliniak, Ingrid Wernstedt Asterho, lmXin Xin Yu, Nolwenn Joffin, Camila O. de Souza, Jan Bernd Funcke, Da Young Oh, Oleg Varlamov, Jacob J. Robino, Ruth Gordillo, Philipp E. Scherer
Androgen Regulation of Adipose Tissue Function
Hyperandrogenemia and metabolic dysfunction are hallmarks of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can have varying degrees of ovulatory dysfunction and the development of arrested antral follicles that give rise to “cystic” appearing ovaries. Adipocyte hypertrophy, induced by obesity and hyperandrogenemia, has been suggested to contribute to the systemic low-grade inflammation thought to be one of the drivers leading to reproductive dysfunction in women with PCOS. We explore the metabolic and immunological effects of an obesogenic high-fat Western-style diet (WSD) and mild hyperandrogenemia (T+WSD) on the metabolic and tissue-resident proinflammatory milieu using a nonhuman primate model.
Recent publications
Western-style diet in the presence of elevated circulating testosterone induces adipocyte hypertrophy without proinflammatory responses in rhesus macaques.
American Journal of Reproductive Immunology Oct 2023
Benjamin J. Burwitz, Sofiya Yusova, Jacob J. Robino, Diana Takahashi, Addie Luo, Ov D. Slayden, Cecily V. Bishop, Jon D. Hennebold, Charles T. Roberts, Oleg Varlamov
Synergistic Effects of Hyperandrogenemia and Obesogenic Western-style Diet on Transcription and DNA Methylation in Visceral Adipose Tissue of Nonhuman Primates.
Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 17;9(1):19232.
Carbone L, Davis BA, Fei SS, White A, Nevonen KA, Takahashi D, Vinson A, True
C, Roberts CT Jr, Varlamov O.
Programming of Fetal Immune System by Maternal Diet
Maternal obesity has been shown to have adverse effects on immune function in offspring, although the specific underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Our research aims to investigate the impact of maternal obesity on the development of fetal hematopoietic stem cells (HSPCs). Through collaboration with Ilhem Messaoudi's and Jed Friedman's labs, our findings indicate that a maternal Western-style diet results in heightened proinflammatory responses in fetal HSPCs and macrophages, while also impairing the lymphoid differentiation of fetal HSPCs.
Recent publications
Maternal diet alters long-term innate immune cell memory in fetal and juvenile hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in nonhuman primate offspring.
Cell Reports Apr 25, 2023; Michael J. Nash, Evgenia Dobrinskikh, Taylor K. Soderborg, Rachel C. Janssen, Diana L. Takahashi, Tyler A. Dean, Oleg Varlamov, Jon D. Hennebold, Maureen Gannon, Kjersti M. Aagaard, Carrie E. McCurdy, Paul Kievit, Bryan C. Bergman, Kenneth L. Jones, Eric M. Pietras, Stephanie R. Wesolowski, Jacob E. Friedman
Maternal obesity blunts antimicrobial responses in fetal monocytes.
eLife 2023; Suhas Sureshchandra, Brianna M. Doratt, Norma Mendza, Oleg Varlamov, Monica Rincon, Nicole E. Marshall, llhem Messaoudi
Maternal Western-style diet remodels the transcriptional landscape of fetal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in rhesus macaques.
Stem Cell Reports Dec 13, 2022; Suhas Sureshchandra, Chi N. Chan, Jacob J. Robino, Lindsay K. Parmelee, Michael J. Nash, Stephanie R. Wesolowski, Eric M. Pietras, Jacob E. Friedman, Diana Takahashi, Weining Shen, Xiwen Jiang, Jon D. Hennebold, Devorah Goldman, William Packwood, Jonathan R. Lindner, Charles T. Roberts, Benjamin J. Burwitz, Ilhem Messaoudi, Oleg Varlamov