Role of acetyltransferase GCN5

Endothelial oxidative stress is a well-known mediator of diabetes-induced macro and microvascular complications. However, the precise underlying mechanisms leading to oxidative stress remain poorly understood. This gap in knowledge is a crucial limiting factor in establishing mechanism-driven therapy to reverse the vascular damage. Dr. Khan aims not only to identify the mechanism of dysregulated gene expression related to oxidative stress in endothelium, but also to reverse these deleterious changes using pharmacological drugs targeting epigenetic modifiers. Here Dr. Khan will identify the role of histone acetyltransferase GCN5 in diabetes and oxidative stress leading to vascular damage and endothelial dysfunction, which is directly relevant to diabetes. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of GCN5 and HDACs leading to reverse the deleterious gene expression changes may provide novel therapeutic targets with potential benefit to people living with diabetes.

Dr. Abdul Waheed Khan

Postdoctoral fellow, Molecular Cardiology, Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine

Karolinska Medical University