# REGULATION OF CELL ACTIVATION BY FATTY ACIDS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · 1993 · $194,658

## Abstract

The overall object of this proposal is to investigate biochemical and
molecular mechanisms through which individual fatty acids influence
cellular activation and participate in immune and inflammatory responses.
Novel fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), abundant in fish
lipid, and gammalinolenic acid (GLA), found in particular plant seed oils,
affect cell function in a manner that might make them useful therapeutic
agents or patients with diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, which are
characterize by chronic inflammation and tissue injury.

Specifically, the effects of fatty acids on biochemical events
(phospholipase A2 and C and protein kinase activities, phosphatidylinositol
metabolism, diacylglycerol generation and changes in free cytosolic calcium
and cyclic AMP concentrations) which serve to transduce receptor initiated
signals to the nucleus, will be examined.  Molecular mechanisms through
which fatty acids alter lymphocytes activation will be investigated by
measuring genes, such as cfos, junA and egr-1 whose protein products
function as transcription factors, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) nad its
receptor, IL-2Ralpha, which are expressed when T cells become committed to
activation, and n-ras and c-fgr which are stimulated by IL-2.  The effects
of fatty acids on monocytes will also be investigated.  Determination of
monokine production and the ability of monocytes to function as accessory
cells for lymphocytes will be examined.

These studies should help define key mechanisms whereby naturally occurring
fatty acids regulate human T lymphocytes activation and function.  In turn,
they might have clinical implications for development of novel benign
therapy for inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158593
- **Project number:** 5R01AR038501-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MQE2JHHJW9Q8
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT B ZURIER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $194,658
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1991-03-15 → 1995-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158593

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158593, REGULATION OF CELL ACTIVATION BY FATTY ACIDS (5R01AR038501-08). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158593. Licensed CC0.

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