Following that, she did two years postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. James Scott in England where she studied molecular aspects of apolipoprotein B gene regulation. In February 1989, she joined Dr. N. Davidson s lab as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago and pursued the investigation of apoB mRNA editing. This brought her to venture into a new direction and she went to work at Genetic Therapy, Inc. in November 1992. In May 1998, she joined the Research Center for Human Genetics, Institute of Molecular Medicine at University of Texas-Houston. Elevated plasma concentrations of apoB100 and LDL are established causation factors for atherosclerotic coronary disease.
Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death in the United States.
It occurs when blood vessels become progressively occluded due to the formation of plaques within their lumen. This contributes directly to high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and other disorders. Therefore, the production of apoB48 has profound functional consequences. Ribozymes, catalytic RNA molecules that cleave target mRNA sequences, have therapeutic potential for genetic diseases. Dr. Teng's laboratory designed hammerhead ribozyme targeted at apoB mRNA, which was examined in a dyslipidemic mouse model.