title: Research advances at the Institute for Nutritional Sciences at Shanghai, China.
abstract: Nutrition-related health issues have emerged as a major threat to public health since the rebirth of the economy in China starting in the 1980s. To meet this challenge, the Chinese Academy of Sciences established the Institute for Nutritional Sciences (INS) at Shanghai, China ≈ 8 y ago. The mission of the INS is to apply modern technologies and concepts in nutritional research to understand the molecular mechanism and provide means of intervention in the combat against nutrition-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and many types of cancers. Through diligent and orchestrated efforts by INS scientists, graduate students, and research staff in the past few years, the INS has become the leading institution in China in the areas of basic nutritional research and metabolic regulation. Scientists at the INS have made important progress in many areas, including the characterization of genetic and nutritional properties of the Chinese population, metabolic control associated with nutrient sensing, molecular mechanisms underlying glucose and lipid metabolism, regulation of metabolism by adipokines and inflammatory pathways, disease intervention using functional foods or extracts of Chinese herbs, and many biological studies related to carcinogenesis. The INS will continue its efforts in understanding the optimal nutritional needs for Chinese people and the molecular causes associated with metabolic diseases, thus paving the way for effective and individualized intervention in the future. This review highlights the major research endeavors undertaken by INS scientists in recent years.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China. ychen3@sibs.ac.cn
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Zunji
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Qiwei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Feifan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Fudi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054392:Adipokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002681:China; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal