Paige Geiger, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
University of Kansas Medical Center
“Heat Therapy: molecular targets and metabolic disease prevention”
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a highly conserved family of proteins best identified for their role as molecular chaperones. They play a critical role in maintaining cellular function via regulation of protein folding and degradation, and changes in their expression profile and cellular location have been linked to numerous disease states. My research over the past 13 years has focused on elucidating the important metabolic roles of HSPs primarily in skeletal muscle, but we have also examined HSP expression in the liver, adipose tissue and brain. Our research to date has greatly contributed to an understanding of HSPs in metabolic disease with implications for future treatment of diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and aging.
Although my research and others have clearly demonstrated the cytoprotective roles of HSPs in numerous disease models, human studies of HSP activation via exercise training or heat therapy are lacking. I recently developed a translational research project to examine the effects of heat therapy on skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and glucose homeostasis. This pilot project highlights the potential for translating our findings on the heat shock response in preclinical models for the prevention of chronic disease in humans. I am now collaborating with several clinicians at KUMC eager for novel treatment options in their patient populations. We have ongoing studies examining the potential benefits of heat therapy on fibromyalgia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and as a short-term intervention to improve surgical outcomes for heart failure patients.
Friday, September 13, 2019, 11:00AM-12:00PM, LIB-110
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Fort Worth, Texas