Independent teams of scientists have located a GLINK(#:2316, gene)}, that is responsible for the development of fat cells. They have also found a way to block the action of the gene, leading to hopes that new drugs for use in the treatment of obesity may be developed.
The researchers, from Harvard Medical School, US, and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, have discovered a protein that stops the gene, called PPAR-gamma, sending its chemical signals. The gene controls the second part of the two-stage development of fat cells, where fat precursor cells develop into lipid-filled cells and are deposited under the skin.
The protein, known as a zinc finger DNA-binding transcriptor (ZFP-TF) has been shown to prevent the development of mature fat cells in experiments on mice. The scientists believe that it will have the same effect in humans, although human trials are thought to be several years away.
Sources and References
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Gene treatment puts block on fat cells
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Scientists find genetic 'switch' that controls fat production in the body
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