HOUSTON -- (September 24, 2009) -- Dr. Brendan Lee of Baylor College of Medicine plans to use a $2.3 million "transformative" grant from the National Institutes of Health to elucidate the relationship between nitric oxide – a crucial molecule in cellular metabolism – and the enzyme argininosuccinic acid lyase, which he hypothesizes may play an important role in many common diseases associated with alterations in this biological chemical.

"The transformative nature of this is that it looks at control and regulation of nitric oxide in a different way – from the level of the enzyme that is responsible for production of arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide," said Lee, a professor of molecular and human genetics at BCM. "It could transform how we treat nitric oxide-related diseases."

Important implications

The findings could have implications for many diseases, including those of the heart and blood vessels, nerves and brain as well as metabolic disease like diabetes.

In a letter telling Lee of the award, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the NIH, wrote: "As you know, this program, funded through the Office of the NIH Director and the Common Fund, is intended to support research that has the potential to transform the way we think about and conduct science, so the recipients represent an elite few with truly bold ideas. Competition for the awards was fierce, and standards very high."

Different look at nitric oxide

"The basis for this grant stems from our observations of patients who had rare disorders of the urea cycle," said Lee. (The urea cycle involves the breakdown of waste proteins in the cell, a critical element for healthy life.) "Many patients had problems that could not be explained by high levels of ammonia alone (resulting from degradation of cellular waste). "Until now, most work on nitric oxide metabolism has focused on nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme that makes nitric oxide. This work will look at a different way in which nitric oxide is controlled."

Lee is one of 42 scientists nationwide to receive a grant through the NIH Transformative R01 Program, funded through the office of Collins.

Dr. Susan Rosenberg, professor of molecular and human genetics at BCM, received a five-year, $2.5 million NIH director’s Pioneer Award granted under the same program. Collins announced the awards simultaneously at a ceremony at the NIH Sept. 24.

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