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Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Research

 

The Division of Endocrinology is committed to conducting promising state-of-the-art research to generate new knowledge and improve understanding with the ultimate goal of applying the latest scientific and medical advances for the prevention, detection and treatment of patients with endocrine diseases.

Major research projects:

• Clinical and Translational Science Center: Dr. Imperato-McGinley is the Principal Investigator of Weill Cornell Medical College’s $49 million NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA).

• Androgens and Cognitive Function, a NIH-funded project, evaluating the effects of hormones in utero and postnatally on cognitive function in normal subjects and subjects with inherited androgen action defects.

• Molecular Genetics of Male Sexual Differentiation and Development, a study defining the genetic defects of subjects with inherited conditions affecting male sexual differentiation, particularly subjects with 5α-reductase-2 deficiency.

• Molecular Genetics of 21 Hydroxlyase Deficiency, a study to identify inherited genetic defects in the 21-hydroxylase enzyme in humans which result in genital ambiguity. The genotype-phenotype relationships of this condition are also being studied.

• The Epidemiology of Diabetes Intervention and Complications Trial (EDIC), a continuation of the multi-center Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) evaluating the effect of intensive glucose control on both microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes.

• The Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, a multi-center study of the effects of intensive versus conventional glucose, blood pressure and lipid treatment on cardiovascular disease in 10,000 individuals with type II diabetes mellitus.

• Molecular Basis of Sex Steroid Hormone Interaction in Prostate Diseases, a study focusing on androgen-estrogen interaction in the prostate and the development of specific estrogen analogs with fewer side effects for the hormonal therapy of prostate cancer.

• The Effects and Mechanisms of Dietary Fat in Prostate Development and Pathogenesis, a study to delineate the effects of a high-fat dietary intake on prostate growth and pathogenesis. Understanding the relationship of dietary fat effects and the prostate may facilitate development of strategies for prostate cancer prevention.

• Chinese Herbal Medicine and Phytochemicals in Prostate Cancer are studies to determine their effects in the treatment of prostate cancer in animal models, elucidating mechanisms of action, with the ultimate goal of proceeding to clinical trials in patients with advanced prostate cancer. In addition to a specific Chinese herbal formula, phytochemicals derived from Chinese herbs, such as genistein and camptothecin analogs, are also being evaluated.