Molecular Weight Loss Japanese researchers discover fat-burning genes

Researchers are increasingly approaching the development of "slimming pill"
Obesity is a big health problem for many people around the world. Obesity can cause diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. Now researchers discovered a gene responsible for fat burning at the molecular level. It is now possible to develop pills that always keep us slim no matter what we eat?

Japanese scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University identified a human gene that is primarily responsible for the burning of fat. If the function of the gene "Ucp 1" is delayed, this leads to an excessive fat storage in the fat cells. As a result, overweight arises. The results of their large study will be published by the researchers at the end of December in the journal "Cell Reports".

Fat burning and the formation of fat deposits are essentially determined by two specific genes. (Image: Markus Bormann / fotolia.com)

Three genes influence whether we are increasing or not
So far, there are no safe and effective medical treatments for obesity. Thus, all countermeasures are limited to the individual efforts of those affected. Japanese researchers have now made a decisive breakthrough. They seem to have found the causes of obesity at the genetic level. The physicians claim to have discovered one of the molecular mechanisms involved in storage and fat burning. The research team of Dr. med. Takahashi Akinori and colleagues found that mice lacking two specific genes did not increase despite high-fat diets. This applies to mice that lack the genes "Cnot7" and "Tob", the Japanese scientists said in their study. The two genes have a massive effect on another gene called "UCP1". In addition, the study revealed that this "UCP1" gene has a major impact on our weight gain. The gene supports fat burning and thus reduces our fat deposits. "UCP1" would turn fat in our cells into heat, the doctors added.

Scientists hope to develop "slimming pill"
Overweight people have a low concentration of "UCP1" in their fat cells. This would mean that more fat would be stored instead of burning it, said the doctors. The result is overweight. It was important to develop a way to support the transformation from fat to heat, the Japanese researchers said. Such an opportunity for increased fat burning could in the future enable clinical applications, such as the production of anti-obesity drugs. Takahashi in the study. It is to be hoped that the results of the study may someday be used to support the treatment of obesity or to develop a "slimming pill," Dr. Takahashi added.

Overweight and obesity are massive health problems worldwide
The growing number of people who are overweight or obese is one of the major health problems in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that global obesity has more than doubled since 1980. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Of these more than 600 million sufferers are obese. The Japanese researchers are now planning to continue their studies. The goal is to develop drugs that can be used to prevent overweight and obesity, the researchers said.