Zoey Fox presents 'Sex, drugs, and mortality: investigating sex as a variable in Wilson's Disease', Nov. 14

Zoey Fox, a M.S. candidate in biology, will present 'Sex, drugs, and mortality: investigating sex as a variable in Wilson's Disease' on Nov. 14.

Abstract

Copper and zinc are essential transition elements involved in diverse cellular processes, from angiogenesis to immune function. Though essential, the high redox activity of copper requires homeostatic regulation, which in part is carried out by ATP7B, a protein responsible for the transport of copper out of the liver and into the bile for excretion. In Wilson Disease, an autosomal recessive copper storage disorder, loss of function mutation in ATP7B causes excess copper accumulation in the liver. Zinc supplementation and copper chelation are standard of care treatment for Wilson Disease. Reported data shows a twofold increase in the accumulation of liver zinc in addition to copper in Atp7b-/- animals when compared to their WT/Het counterparts. While excess zinc consumption can cause copper deficiency, less is known about zinc metabolism in the presence of excess copper. Using an Atp7b-/- mouse model and controls, we tested the hypothesis that zinc supplementation and copper chelation induce different alterations to hepatic accumulation, transcriptional landscape, and hepatic pathology. What emerged was a pronounced dichotomy in survival probability between male and female Atp7b-/- animals, along with changes to metal balance, lipid metabolism, and expression of genes associated with fibrosis.

Event details

Event location - CPISB 120 and Zoom
Event date - Nov. 14, 2025
Event start time - 10 a.m.
Event end time - 11 a.m.

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