Use your own fat for weight loss?

Your own fat cells for weight loss: New treatment options for diabetes and obesity

14/10/2012

Use your own fat cells to fight obesity and diabetes? Researchers at the MedUni Vienna and the Max Planck Institute in Freiburg have discovered a new signaling pathway that could form the basis for the development of efficient drugs for overweight and diabetes.

In their study, Austrian and German scientists identified a new signaling pathway that has a massive impact on metabolism. The scientists around Raffaele Teperino from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg, Sabine Amann and Martina Bayer from the Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna) report in the journal „Cell“, that the so-called hedgehog signaling pathway significantly increases the glucose uptake capacity in brown adipose tissue and muscles. „Substances that activate this signaling pathway could be used to treat obesity and diabetes“, reports the MedUni Vienna. In addition, the researchers also blamed the discovered signaling pathway for the side effects of an anti-cancer drug.

Better treatment of obesity and diabetes possible
The metabolism is completely converted via the hedgehog signaling pathway, whereby calcium-dependent enzymes are also activated, according to the MedUni Vienna. In particular, the cells in the brown adipose tissue and the muscles can „absorb a lot of glucose via the new signaling pathway“, Harald Esterbauer, who is also involved in the study, from the Clinical Department for Medical-Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics at MedUni Vienna. In his opinion, that would be „Drugs that only activate the new Hedgehog signaling pathway, which are candidates for overweight and type 1 and type 2 diabetes drugs.“ The current findings are „central to the rational design of hedgehog modulators and new therapeutic pathway against obesity and diabetes“, the researchers report in the journal „Cell“.

New signaling pathway Causes muscle spasms in some anticancer drugs
According to the researchers, the discovered signaling pathway also causes the influx of calcium into the muscle cells, causing them to contract and cause severe spasms. Here, the scientists also see the reason for the unpleasant side effects, „the use of a by the American health authority (FDA) approved cancer drug has occurred more“ are. However, according to the MedUni Vienna, the current study also showed that hedgehog inhibitors are quite available „Do not increase the calcium and glucose levels and cause cramping.“ Harald Esterbauer explained that „The development of drugs with fewer side effects so quite possible“ seems.

Hedgehog protein as a trigger of cancer?
The hedgehog protein performs important functions in embryonic development and malfunctioning can lead to severe malformations in the offspring. In addition, the signaling protein plays an essential role „in the propagation, migration and specialization of cells“, this is the message from MedUni Vienna. Disorders of the signal pathway can also cause cancer in adults, write the researchers around Raffaele Teperino of the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg, Sabine Amann and Martina Bayer of the Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Vienna). Two years ago, the Austrian researchers had already clearly demonstrated that the hedgehog protein prevents the formation of „bad“ blocked white adipose tissue. (Fp)

Read about:
Fight excess fat with fat cells?
Promote mental fitness through strict diet
Obesity causes the brain to shrink
Diet in Naturopathy
Why does sports help with diabetes?

Image: Courtesy: Department of Histology, Jagiellonian University Medical College