Scientists have identified a gene that plays a central role in the development of obesity and diabetes and which could pave the way for new drugs to treat the diseases.
Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, discovered that mice genetically prone to obesity or those fed ahigh-fat diet had higher activity in a gene called JNK than normal mice.
But animals lacking JNK had less body fat and were less likely to suffer from insulin resistance which precedes Type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes.
Gokhan Hotamisligil and his colleagues, who identified the gene, believe it could work the same way in humans and that blocking its action could form the basis of new drugs for obesity and diabetes which afflict millions of people.
"This looks like an exciting discovery, both in terms of mechanistic understanding because it points to the core of how these diseases evolve and it offers an outstanding drug target," Hotamisligil said.
Obesity is linked to insulin resistance and is a leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, which is caused by an inability to make enough, or to properly use, insulin.
Sufferers of Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin and need daily injections. Most people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.
Excess weight is the most common and avoidable risk factor for the illness.
Hotamisligil, who reported his finding in the science journal Nature, said scientists were already focusing on the JNK gene to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and other illnesses.
There was also evidence in humans linking abnormal JNK activity to diabetes.
"This is an essential pathway [sequence of reactions] for obesity and diabetes and it shows a little light at the end of the tunnel for those who are suffering from these diseases."
