Nature Inspired Biology for Therapeutic Target Identification for Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Diseases
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Leslie A. Leinwand, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; Chief Scientific Officer
BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder
Leslie Leinwand, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Executive Science Officer of the BioFrontiers Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research has advanced understanding of the genetics and molecular physiology of inherited heart disease, including how sex and diet influence cardiac function. Using approaches spanning molecular biology, genetics, physiology, and human tissue analysis, Dr. Leinwand investigates mechanisms underlying cardiomyopathies and other cardiac disorders. A scientist and entrepreneur, she has co-founded multiple biotechnology companies, including Myogen and MyoKardia, translating discoveries in cardiovascular biology into new therapeutic strategies for patients with inherited heart disease.
Summary
Over 50% of existing drugs were derived from the natural world. These include blood pressure-lowering ACE inhibitors and anti-coagulants from snake venom, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes and obesity from Gila monster saliva. We study pythons which are ambush-hunters that consume large meals infrequently (up to 100% of their bodyweight and up to >1 year between meals). During digestion, their metabolism can increase by up to 44-fold and most organs double in size. After digestion, organ masses regress, thereby minimizing energy expenditure during the next fast. Pythons also have evolved novel protective mechanisms to prevent muscle atrophy during long fasts. Given the prevalence of muscle atrophy in humans, we have preliminary data indicating that the post-prandial python circulating metabolome is significantly altered compared to fasting and that the gut microbiome contributes to metabolic remodeling. For example, we have identified a metabolite, which selectively activates the python brain’s feeding center and suppresses appetite in lean and obese mice.
Learning Objectives:
- To understand how animals that have evolved to live in extreme environments might lead to treatments for obesity and muscle atrophy and metabolic syndrome.
- To understand how basic research can be directed to drug discovery.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, August 26, 2026