David Ron, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Julius Raynes Professor of Cell Biology
Protein malfolding and the cellular adaptation to proteotoxicity
Research and Clinical Interests
Long-lived cells are susceptible to the accumulative stress arising from mistakes in protein folding and from the sheer load of unfolded polypeptides the cell's machinery must cope with over time. This process, referred to heuristically as "proteotoxicity," is believed to contribute to cellular aging and has been implicated in common disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Our laboratory studies signaling pathways that are responsive to the intracellular load of unfolded and malfolded polypeptides in the endoplasmic reticulum, which is a site of heavy protein traffic in secretory cells. Interfering with the normal course of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling has revealed the important role these pathways play in cellular homeostasis in all metazoans. Our long-term goal is to integrate this emerging knowledge with an understanding of human pathophysiology in the hope of uncovering novel means of intervening against diseases of aging.
Selected Publications
David Ron. List of Publications. (External link).
