Is it possible to stop obesity by targeting a single gene?
Obesity is an epidemic that may decrease life expectancy by 6-20 years and is linked to cardiovascular disease , type 2 diabetes, and cancer . Multi-organ systems participate in the regulation of whole-body digestion, and a disruption of this homeostatic balance underlies obesity, metabolic disease , and their associated comorbidities. Researchers have long explored non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) as a way to burn excess calories and treat obesity by converting them to heat instead of storing them as fat. Generally, the body operates a number of feedback mechanisms that suppress unnecessary caloric consumption. Evolutionarily speaking, these forms have helped conserve energy in times of hardship. Mammals have developed mechanisms for both storing calories and using them for functions such as thermogenesis, in response to pressures of limited nourishment resources and environmental exposure. Despite gorging on high-fat foods for prolonged periods, mice whose RCAN1 gene had been remove...