Olivia Lucianno
- University of Glasgow
A PhD candidate in the first cohort of Northwest Bio who completed her master’s degree in structural biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science and her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Queen Mary University of London. She enjoys engaging with science both in and outside the lab and is interested in pursuing a career which allows her to share her passion for science with the greater community.
Succinate is a key metabolite in the energy production processes of cells, centred in the mitochondria i.e. the powerhouse of the cell. In stress conditions such as hypoxia, an excess of succinate accumulates which is exported into the cytosol and out into the extracellular space. Succinate may then bind to the succinate receptor and initiate a cascade of signalling events in the cell. In this project, one of the key aims is to determine how succinate accumulation and succinate receptor signalling influence macrophage behaviour in disease contexts. Particularly those involving metabolic dysfunction such as insulin resistance and type II diabetes, where chronic low-level inflammation caused by infiltrating pro-inflammatory macrophages is a ubiquitous and detrimental feature of these diseases. Succinate receptor activity has been observed in pro-inflammatory macrophages. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms involved via the succinate receptor which influence macrophage phenotype may aid in the development of more effective, targeted treatments to reduce inflammation associated with metabolic disease.