Obesity is one of the most common chronic health conditions across the United States — and the world.
Although there are a variety of treatments, ranging from lifestyle changes to medication, much research recognizes the need to delve more deeply to understand the biological mechanisms behind the widespread disease.
Now, researchers from Cornell University have identified a gene that may be responsible for some bodies’ ability to resist obesity.
In the recent study, researchers explored how human genetic variations influence their susceptability to weight gain. Researchers engineered mice with a human genetic variant in the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP, receptor, which is linked to a leaner body mass index.
The variant rendered the mice more sensitive to the GIP hormone, promoting insulin release and efficient glucose processing. Researchers surmised that the variant’s prolonged presence inside cells may enhance sugar breakdown and metabolization.
While more study is needed, the findings suggest a potential avenue for developing drugs that could target the GIP receptor in people in order to combat obesity. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding how different genetic variants respond to existing weight loss medications and hint at a precision-medicine approach for personalized weight loss interventions.
In short, the findings may point researchers to newer potential strategies and ways to address obesity.
It’s no silver bullet, but progress in understanding a devastating disease that affects one in three adults and costs the United States $173 billion a year? That’s a win.