Overweight researchers were able to stop fat storage altogether

How do we make the body store no more fat?

Many people have problems maintaining a healthy weight. Unfortunately, overweight and obesity are now widespread. In the future, however, there might be an easy way to avoid fat storage and weight gain. Researchers have now found in experiments on mice that deleting genes (delete the genes) of a single enzyme that can completely stop the ability of the body to store fat.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found in their current research that removing a single enzyme in mice causes the animals to lose weight even on a high-fat diet because the body is deprived of the ability to store fat. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Molecular Metabolism".

More and more people are having big problems with their weight. In the future, can the removal of an enzyme cause the human body to be unable to store fat? (Image: andriano_cz / fotolia.com)

What is NAMPT??

An enzyme called NAMPT has been linked to obesity in humans and animals in several studies. Scientists have found that the presence of the enzyme in adipose tissue increases metabolic functionality in many body tissues, including adipose tissue. As a result, the body's ability to store fat increases.

Laboratory mice were genetically modified

NAMPT in adipose tissue was probably an extraordinary benefit to our ancestors a long time ago, but high-fat, high-calorie foods are a burden in today's society, says study author Zachary Gerhart-Hines of the University of Copenhagen. To better understand the effects of this vital enzyme, researchers bred mice lacking NAMPT in adipose tissue. If the genetically modified mice were then fed a high-fat diet, they were unable to gain weight, the experts explain.

Compared to a control group of mice with the same diet that developed obesity, the NAMPT mice also appeared to be able to better control their blood sugar levels despite the unhealthy high fat diet.

Experimental animals received a very unhealthy diet

The mice were given a diet that more or less matched the constant consumption of burgers and pizza, says study author Karen Nørgaard Nielsen from the University of Copenhagen. Nevertheless, it was impossible for the animals to expand their fatty tissue. The ultimate goal is to gain insights into the development of novel treatment strategies for metabolic diseases by understanding these fundamental foundations of obesity.

Are the results transferable to humans??

Although the results of the study are quite fascinating, the therapy can not easily be applied to humans, the researchers say. NAMPT is an enzyme that is expressed in a variety of organs and tissues, so it can directly lead to inhibitory side effects in humans. Interestingly, so-called NAMPT inhibitors are also being studied for anti-cancer therapies, with recent research demonstrating that synthesized molecules can be developed that specifically target tumors and cause cell death.

Further research needs to be done

Further research on this topic is now needed to examine exactly how a lack of NAMPT inhibits fat storage and obesity. It is hoped that understanding the mechanism could help develop a more targeted treatment strategy that regulates fat storage without causing the broader systemic problems that would result from the complete elimination of NAMPT from a body, the researchers explain. (As)