About the Metabolism Unit
The Metabolism Unit, of the Massachusetts General Hospital Endocrine Division and recently formed in 2019, was previously known as the Massachusetts General Hospital Program in Nutritional Metabolism. The chief of the unit is Steven Grinspoon, MD, a recognized expert in substrate metabolism, with a focus on the regulation of ectopic adipose tissue and related inflammatory conditions.
Major accomplishments of the faculty include:
- Demonstration of the effects of leptin administration to restore endocrine homeostasis in caloric deprivation
- Demonstration of the effects of TNF-alpha antagonism on inflammatory markers and glucose homeostasis among patients with obesity and metabolic dysregulation
- Determination of the novel effects of lipolytic blockade on metabolic endpoints in obesity
- Assessment of the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance in obesity
- Demonstration of the potential utility of hypothalamic GH secretagogues to restore GH physiology and improve excess visceral adiposity and liver fat in central obesity
- Determination of the role of DICER in dysfunctional adipose tissue in lipodystrophy
- Demonstration of the novel regulation and anti-inflammatory effects of RAAS blockade in lipodystrophy
- Exploration of novel imaging agents to quantify macrophage infiltration in atherosclerotic lesions
- Application of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify ectopic fat accumulation in cardiac myocytes among women at increased risk for heart failure
Researchers in the Metabolism Unit have published over 300 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including publications in Nature, NEJM, JAMA, JAMA Cardiology, the Annals of Internal Medicine and Lancet HIV.
View our current research projectsAbout the Metabolism Unit
The Metabolism Unit is led by Steven Grinspoon, MD, a recognized expert in substrate metabolism, with a focus on the regulation of ectopic adipose tissue and related inflammatory conditions.