Research Interests:

My research focuses on understanding the relationship between nutrients and human health, at different stages of the life cycle, through the use of genetically modified animal models. Vitamin A has so far served as a “model nutrient” to investigate this issue. Vitamin A is essential to maintain vision, reproduction, development and immune function. Furthermore, retinoids (vitamin A and its derivatives) modulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Not surprisingly, alterations of the vitamin A status have been associated with human chronic diseases such as cancer. Moreover, dietary deficiency of vitamin A (VAD) is a serious widespread problem affecting more that 750 million people worldwide. Even a mild VAD status may increase maternal mortality or affect organogenesis in the fetus, inducing clinically silent anomalies that can have a severe impact on health later in life.

Currently, my research is expanding in two main directions: 1. Mechanisms of maternal-fetal transfer of vitamin A and carotenoids; 2. Control of prostate epithelium proliferation by vitamin A signaling.

My long-term goal is the integration of these two interests, aiming at the molecular understanding of how maternal-fetal nutrition affects onset and progression of chronic diseases, such as cancer, in the offspring.

Selected Publications:

Q. Yang, T. E. Graham, N. Mody, F. Preitner, O.D. Peroni, J. M. Zabolotny, K. Kotani, L. Quadro, B. B. Kahn. Serum retinol binding protein 4 contributes to insulin resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Nature, 436: 356-62, (2005).

L. Quadro, L. Hamberger, M. E. Gottesman, F. Wang, V. Colantuoni, W. S. Blaner, C. L. Mendelsohn. Pathways of vitamin A delivery to the embryo: insights from a new tunable model of embryonic vitamin A deficiency. Endocrinology, [Epub ahead of print, June 30], (2005).

L. Quadro, W. S. Blaner, L. Hamberger, P. M. Novikoff, J. M. D’Armiento, S. Vogel, R. Piantedosi, M. E. Gottesman, V. Colantuoni. The role of extrahepatic retinol-binding protein (RBP) in the mobilization of retinoid stores. J. Lipid Res., 45(11): 1975-82, (2004).

L. Quadro, L. Hamberger, Max E. Gottesman, V. Colantuoni, R. Ramakrishnan, W. S. Blaner. Transplacental delivery of retinoids: The role of retinol-binding protein and lipoprotein retinyl ester. Am. J. Physiol., 286(5): E844-51, (2004).

L. Quadro*, L. Hamberger, V. Colantuoni, M.E.Gottesman, W.S. Blaner. Understanding the Physiological Role of Retinol-Binding Protein in Vitamin A Metabolism Using Transgenic and Knockout Mouse Models. Mol Aspect Med, 24: 421-430, (2003). *corresponding author

L. Quadro , W.S. Blaner, L. Hamberger, Russel N. Van Gelder, S. Vogel, R. Piantedosi, P. Gouras, V. Colantuoni, M.E. Gottesman. Muscle expression of human Retinol-Binding Protein (RBP). Suppression of the visual defect of RBP knockout mice. J. Biol. Chem., 277: 30191-7, (2002).

M.E. Gottesman, L. Quadro, W.S. Blaner. Studies of vitamin A metabolism in mouse model systems. BioEssays, 23: 409-19, (2001).

L. Quadro, O. Fattoruso, M.P. Cosma, U. Verga, A. Porcellini, A. Libroia, V. Colantuoni. Loss of heterozygosity at the RET protooncogene locus in a case of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 86: 239-44, (2001).

L. Quadro, M.V. Gamble, S. Vogel, A.A. Lima, R. Piantedosi, S.R. Moore, V. Colantuoni, M.E. Gottesman, R.L. Guerrant, W.S. Blaner. Retinol and retinol-binding protein: gut integrity and circulating immunoglobulins. J. Infect. Dis., 182: S97-S102, (2000).

L. Quadro, W.S. Blaner, D.J. Salchow, S. Vogel, R. Piantedosi, P. Gouras, S. Freeman, M.P. Cosma, V. Colantuoni, M.E. Impaired retinal function and vitamin A availability in mice lacking retinol-binding protein. EMBO J., 18 (17): 4633-44, (1999).