US researchers have discovered a gene that is essential for the development of fat cells.

As obesity rates increase, researchers are trying to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind fat deposition. The hope is that by targetting the molecules involved it may be possible to create designer drugs to tackle the problem.

Researchers at Harvard and a major pharmacuetical company now report independent discovery of an important gene in fat development. The fat cell, or adipocyte, is formed in two distinct stages. First, a normal cell turns into an intermediate type of cell called a pre-adipocyte. Then the pre-adipocyte turns into a fully-fledged fat cell, loaded with fat molecules. The researchers found that a gene called PPARgamma2 is essential for this second step. When they created cells lacking this gene, fat cells did not develop. Maybe blocking the PPARgamma2 gene could form the basis of new drugs to treat obesity.

Source

Obesity