A new genetic study shows that manipulating the fat cells in the human body can be the answer to the worldwide problem of obesity.
Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard found that by intervening before pre-fat cells mature can result into these turning into 'beige fat' which is a more energy consuming fat compared to the fat-storing white fat.
Researchers discovered that fat burning, which promotes weight loss, can be initiated by doing a so-called 'genetic switch' inside the fats cells in order to speed up metabolism. As a result, the body will be encouraged to burn off excess to convert it into heat energy that the body can use.
The good news is that the process can be done even without exercising.
Melina Claussnitzer and senior author Manolis Kellis led the research which was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. The team dig deeper into the fat tissues of 100 healthy European individuals who are all of normal weight. They found that by inhibiting the genes that allow the body to store energy for future use, the fat burning cells are increase.
The scientists first tested mice in the laboratory which lost 50% of their body weight after they started the genetic switch. Manolis Kellis, a professor in the field of computer science and computational biology at MIT explained the process.
"They were eating the same amount. They were not exercising more. They were burning energy in the form of heat, both day and night. That tells us that we switched their metabolism from energy storage to energy dissipation."
The study which is considered as a scientific breakthrough can be very beneficial to those who are suffering from obesity. The discovery can help scientists develop precision medicine approaches to prevent the said health problem.
Dr. Clifford Rosen of Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough predicted that the industry will certainly grab the discovery as an opportunity to create new drugs.
However, experts also predicted that it will take at least five years to try the fat burning medication on humans.
