Share:
Epigenetic switch researches overweight could be turned off
It has long been known that genes play an important role in those who are too fat. German scientists have now stated in a study that it is also crucial how these genes are regulated. They discovered an epigenetic switch that leads to either normal or overweight.
Genes are (over-) responsible for obesity
In the past, people who put their overweight on the "bad genes" were often not taken seriously. While other factors also play a role, genes are indeed a major cause of who is fat or not. In recent years, scientists around the world have gained new insights. For example, an international research team found a gene responsible for obesity, and Japanese scientists recently reported finding a fat-burning gene.
What matters is how the genes are regulated
Freiburg researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics have now gained further important findings in a new study, which show that it is also crucial how genes are regulated. On the website of the Max Planck Institute, the scientists around Andrew Pospisilik report that they discovered an epigenetic switch that leads either to normal or to overweight in people with identical genetic material as identical twins. It is said that the switch works like a classic light switch and not like a stepless dimmer.
Being overweight is a big health risk
More than half a billion people on earth are too fat, write the authors. Obesity and obesity are a significant health problem as they are often the starting point for cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes. Although the DNA is responsible for our weight, but not exclusively. Environmental factors also have a significant impact on this. The research group reported that mice with only one copy of the Trim28 gene in the genome were the starting point for their discovery. In previous studies from Australia, the rodents showed large weight fluctuations even under strictly controlled identical environmental conditions. And that although the animals were genetically identical, so they had exactly the same DNA.
"Body weight given for life"
When the Max Planck researchers looked more closely at the weight distribution of a large number of these genetically identical animals, it became clear that the majority of the weight could be divided into either normal weight or overweight. However, there were hardly any intermediate stages. Further investigation then suggested that a particular network of genes acts as a kind of switch that responds to the manifestation of either a normal or obese phenotype. "Once the switch is pressed, the body weight is given for life," says Andrew Pospisilik.
Switch the switch from over to normal weight
The researchers also wanted to know if a comparable switch exists in humans. Together with colleagues they examined fat tissue samples of normal and overweight children. The results they obtained from this and the results from publicly available data from twin studies suggest that the switch found in mice also exists in humans. This may explain why a human tends to be overweight, while his twin with identical genetic makeup is of normal weight under the same environmental conditions. "Next, we want to find out if we can influence this switch either through dietary changes, stress minimization, or medication. We hope that this will allow us to permanently change the system from overweight to normal weight, "says Pospisilik. The scientists recently published their findings in the journal "Cell".
Diet programs adapted to our genes
How knowledge about the genetic cause of obesity can be used for weight loss is also part of several other research teams scientific research. For example, scientists from the US and Germany reported last summer that a simple syringe to lose weight, which will outsmart the DNA, will soon be available. And other researchers are developing diet programs that are specially adapted to our individual genes. Obesity does not always have to be a big risk to our health, but it can be combated in many ways. (Ad)