2024-01-31 05:54:53
After conducting experiments on mice, experts from the University of California San Diego discovered that one gene is responsible for fat cells losing their ability to burn energy, according to the study published in the journal “Natural Metabolism.”
The researchers found that when rodents are fed a high-fat diet, their cells break down and become less effective at burning fat, which may explain why obesity causes a slower metabolism in humans.
They discovered that this process is controlled by a single gene, which when removed by gene editing, prevents the rodents from gaining excess weight, even while eating the same high-fat diet.
When examining the “mitochondria”, which is a double-membrane cellular organelle that produces the energy needed to operate the body and helps burn fat, and aging is linked to a decline in its function, they found that it is the most important element in achieving the results of the study.
The researchers measured the effect of a high-fat diet on the “mitochondria” of mice. After eating the diet, the mice divided into smaller, inefficient ones, which led to burning less fat. This is achieved through a single gene called (RaIA). .
The researchers’ findings indicate that when this gene is overactive, it hinders the normal functioning of mitochondria, which leads to fat cells not burning energy as well.
“Excess calories from overeating can lead to weight gain and also trigger a cascade of metabolic processes that reduce energy expenditure, making obesity worse,” says Alan Salthill, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego and lead author of the study. “The gene we identified is an important part of this shift from healthy weight to obesity.”
When people consume more calories than they burn, the ability of fat cells to burn energy begins to fail. This is one reason why it is difficult for obese people to lose weight, but how fat cells begin to fail has been one of the biggest mysteries of obesity.
“The direct comparison between the basic biology we discovered and real clinical results underscores the importance of the findings for humans, and suggests that we may be able to help treat or prevent obesity by targeting the RaIA pathway with new therapies,” Salthill explained. “The metabolism of this disease is complex, but the future possibilities are exciting.”
Future treatments may include gene therapies or CRISPR, a technology used by scientists to modify DNA in living organisms, to get rid of RaIA and its effects in the body.
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