Fibrobesity – Preventing Fibrosis Related to Obesity

Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Significance of Fibrosis (FIBRO1) strives to identify currently poorly known molecular pathways causative for obesity and fibrosis.

Disease Modelling for Future Therapies (FIBRO2) facilitates translational studies through the development of novel in vitro and in vivo disease models.

Societal and Behavioral Perspectives (FIBRO3) combine approaches at a broader range of disciplines to reveal lifelong behavioral determinants of obesity.

1. What are the genetic and other risk factors leading to obesity and fibrosis-related co-morbidities in individuals and populations? How can we identify individuals with the increased risk?

2. What are the mechanisms and associations of early-life exposures, lifelong risk for obesity, and co-morbidities including fibrosis in selected complex chronic diseases? What are the factors predicting the extent of weight loss in the intervention and cohort studies?

3. What are the molecular mechanisms connecting obesity and fibrosis, including the roles of hypoxia, ECM remodeling, and inflammation?

4. Can we treat obesity and fibrosis-related co-morbidities by controlling those identified molecular mechanisms, such as activation of the hypoxia response, in vitro and in vivo?

5. What kind of historical, socio-cultural, and behavioral factors underlie obesity and related health issues? How can these insights be integrated into behavioral guidance?

Leader: Professor Reetta Hinttala, Research Unit of Clinical Medicine

Vice-Leader: Professor Juhani Junttila, Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine

Fibrobesity Coordinator:
Docent Ritva Saastamoinen, Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine
ritva.saastamoinen@oulu.fi
tel. +358 294 48 5226, +358 50 592 3333

Fibrobesity Communications Specialist:
Essi Erkkilä, Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine
essi.erkkila@oulu.fi
tel. +358 50 521 5852 (only Mon-Fri 9-17, at other times please contact the Fibrobesity Coordinator Ritva Saastamoinen)

Servicedesk: fibrohealth@oulu.fi

Tips for news items, publications, events, feedback, and development ideas are the most welcome!

Reetta Hinttala, Chair
Juhani Junttila, Vice-Chair
Janne Hukkanen
Johannes Kettunen
Thomas Kietzmann
Raija Korpelainen
Aki Manninen
Hanni-Mari Muukkonen-van der Meer
Petteri Pietikäinen
Terhi Piltonen

• Issue 6 (pdf-file)

Issue 1 (pdf-file)