Email

lutfia@bcm.edu

Positions

Associate Professor

Biochemistry-Wakil Lab
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US

Addresses

Baylor College of Medicine (Office)

BCM-Jewish Institute for Research
Room: BCMD-325DB
Houston, TX 77030
United States

Education

MS from Hebrew University Of Jerusalem

01/1983 - Jerusalem, Israel

Microbiology

BS from Hebrew University Of Jerusalem

01/1981 - Jerusalem, Israel

Biology

PhD from Hebrew University Of Jerusalem

01/1990 - Jerusalem, Israel

Microbiology

Honors & Awards

The Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Award

Baylor College of Medicine (01/2001)

The City of Tamra (Israel) Award for Scientific Achievements

01/2001

Obesity Best Thematic poster Award

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) (01/2011)

Professional Interests

• Cancer
• Fatty Acids and Lipid Metabolism
• Gene Expression and Regulation
• Mouse and Rat

Professional Statement

My research interests focus on the hormonal and dietary regulation of fatty acid metabolism in diseases and adverse health conditions, particularly the contemporary epidemic of obesity and related complications such as diabetes and cardiac malfunction. For some time, my work has focused on understanding the roles of acetyl-CoA carboxylases, ACC1 and ACC2, in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis and oxidation as related to energy homeostasis
Recently, my collaborators and I have been focusing on studies involving a prospective anti-obesity pharmaceutical intervention. We discovered that a small synthetic molecule, which we named FGH1001 (called "fatostatin" in related publications), inhibits the activation of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) -1 and -2, transcription factors that function as master regulators of fat and lipid synthesis. My Collaborators and I plan to further investigate the potential of this compound and its derivatives as an effective anti-obesity agent through feasibility studies in rats. We expect the investigation to move on to other animals and eventually to humans.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Bachrach U, Abu-Elheiga L, Talmi M, Schnur LF, El-On J, Greenblatt CL "Polyamines and the growth of leishmanial parasites.." Med. Biol.. 1981 December ; 59 (41400): 441-7. Pubmed PMID: 7339304
• Bachrach U, Abu-Elheiga L, Hershkovitz M, Loyter A. "A Fusion-mediated microinjection of amine and diamine oxidases in cultured cells: Effect on protein and DNA synthesis in chick embryo fibroblasts and in glioma cells.." J. Cell Physiol.. 1987 131 : 92-08.
• Bachrach U, Abu-Elheiga L, Shnur LF "Effect of paromomycin and pentamidine on polyamine levels in the skin of normal and infected mice.." Exp. Parasitol. 1983 June ; 55 (3): 280-288. Pubmed PMID: 6852166
• Assaraf YG, Abu-Elheiga L, Spira DT, Desser H, Bachrach U "Effect of polyamine depletion on macromolecular synthesis of the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, cultured in human erythrocytes.." Biochem. J.. 1987 February 15; 242 (1): 221-6. Pubmed PMID: 3109383

Memberships

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Member (01/1993)