Imaging cortisol metabolism in liver, adipose tissue and brain with a novel PET radioligand

Obesity and fatty liver disease negatively impacts an individual’s health and quality of life, and affects a substantial burden on communities and society. The proposed research program will investigate the changes in cortisol metabolism during normal physiology, and during the progression to obesity and fatty liver disease in an attempt to understand the role of cortisol metabolism. A better understanding of cortisol metabolism, and particularly the relationship between an enzyme that activates cortisol and obesity and fatty liver, may inform more effective treatment strategies, improving quality of life and reducing societal burden.