Igor Shmarakov, Ph.D., Sc.D.
Department of Animal Sciences
School of Environmental & Biological Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Igor Shmarakov is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University. He earned his Ph.D. and Sc.D. in Biochemistry in Ukraine and completed his postdoctoral training in Nutritional Biochemistry in Dr. William S. Blaner’s lab at Columbia University while receiving a Fulbright Faculty Development Award.
For many years, the focus of Igor’s research has been on understanding the metabolic and signaling role of retinoids (vitamin A and its metabolites). Specifically, his research is directed toward understanding the molecular mechanisms of how retinoids, as well as retinoid-interacting proteins, are involved in maintaining cellular function in the lung, liver, and adipose, and how the disruption of retinoid metabolism and signaling contributes to the development of the disease.
The Shmarakov lab is currently working on two major projects. The first project is aimed at gaining a molecular understanding of retinoid metabolism in the adult lung. A substantial number of experimental studies involving animal models or cell culture approaches have identified the molecular functions for all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), a transcriptionally active retinoid species, and its three nuclear hormone receptors (RARα, RARβ, and RARγ) in pre- and post-natal lung development and adult lung health. However, there is a gap in understanding the molecular processes taking place in-between the consumption of vitamin A from the diet and ATRA actions within individual lung cells. This is why many approaches aimed at alleviating human lung disease with retinoids have been based on either supplementation with mega-doses of dietary vitamin A or supraphysiological doses of ATRA and ultimately have not been successful due to toxicity. This underscores the significance of this project, which aims to expand understanding of retinoid actions in the adult lung with the long-term goal of targeting retinoid metabolism and signaling to mitigate lung disease, including inflammatory acute lung injury (ALI), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung fibrosis.
The second project is focused on examining the role of retinoids and ATRA signaling as molecular targets responsible for mediating the obesogenic effects of environmental pollutants or so-called endocrine disruptors on adipose tissue and whole-body energy metabolism, and how they contribute to the development of diabetes and metabolic disease.
The Shmarakov lab extensively utilizes transgenic animal models, including whole-body knockouts and transgenics generated by Cre-loxP gene editing, to address important research questions of vitamin A physiology in the context of specific cells and tissues. These models include genetically modified animals that are either unable to store vitamin A in their tissues or have impaired transport of vitamin A in the body due to the lack of specific transport proteins and cell-surface receptors, or have blocked cell-specific ATRA-mediated signaling.
The Shmarakov lab is open to collaborations. We believe that by bringing an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying alterations as well as disease processes resulting from impaired retinoid metabolism and signaling, these studies will drive and direct the long-term research goal of developing effective nutritional and pharmacologically-targeted interventions that can counteract the adverse human health effects.
Igor Shmarakov, Ph.D., Sc.D.
Department of Animal Sciences
School of Environmental & Biological Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
59 Dudley Road, Foran Hall 326
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
tel.:+1 (848) 932-5617
e-mail: ishmarakov@sebs.rutgers.edu
https://animalsciences.rutgers.edu/faculty/shmarakov/
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