Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Also Included In: Diabetes;Genetics Article Date: 11 Jan 2013 - 0:00 PST

Current ratings for: New Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Gene Identified

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The researchers write about their work in a paper published online on 6 January in Nature Medicine.

"Obesity develops as a result of altered energy homeostasis favoring fat storage."

In other words, obesity is what happens when the finely tuned processes that regulate food absorption and energy production go awry, and the balance (homeostasis) moves in the wrong direction: towards excessive storage of fat.

Insulin resistance is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and other health problems. It develops when the body uses insulin, which is needed to control the amount of sugar in the body, less effectively than normal. The result is raised levels of blood sugar and fats.

Specific genes make people more likely to develop insulin resistance and diabetes. Excess weight and lack of exercise also contribute to insulin resistance.

When the team examined the fat storage cells (adipocytes) in the knockout mice, they discovered higher levels of "lipolysis" and energy expenditure. Liopolysis is a cellular process that converts fats into lipids to supply the body with energy.

Other studies have already shown that TRIP-Br2 is more highly expressed in the visceral fat of humans, so together with the results from the knockout mice, the researchers conclude that TRIP-Br2 could be a gene therapy target for treating obesity and related conditions.

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New Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Gene Identified

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