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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Karen Ho, MD

Associate Professor, Surgery (Vascular Surgery)

Karen Ho, MD

Research Program

  • Associate Members

Email

karen.ho( at )northwestern.edu

Cancer-Focused Research

One specific area of interest is butyrate, a short chain fatty acid produced by gut microbial fermentation of dietary fiber which is an important metabolic substrate in normal colonic epithelial cells and has the ability to prevent/inhibit carcinogenesis. The mechanisms of action of butyrate are varied and involve epigenetic regulation of gene expression through the inhibition of histone deacetylase. Additional mechanisms of action involve G protein coupled receptor signaling involving receptors FFAR2, FFAR3, and GPR109a.