Scientists have proposed to treat obesity at the level of DNA

American scientists have determined how the variant of the FTO gene responsible for the predisposition to obesity works. The results of the study were published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and in a summary of their results portal Science.

During the experiment, the authors found that the variation of FTO provokes the excessive activity of its associated genes IRX3 and IRX5, which are responsible for the formation of adipose tissue cells. The cells themselves can be of two types - white adipocytes, which store energy in the form of fat, and brown adipocytes, which use it to produce heat. The increased activity of IRX3 and IRX5 contributes to the formation of white adipocytes, leading to the appearance of excess white adipose tissue.

Using a technology called CRISPR-Cas 9, researchers edited the FTO gene. After this treatment, the level of activity of IRX3 and IRX5 decreased, and the developing cells became more likely to become brown adipocytes.

In the accompanying review it is written that doctors still have to understand whether this technique is suitable for treating a genetic tendency to obesity and how effective it is.

FTO is one of the genes most commonly associated with obesity. It was previously believed that its mutations provoke an increase in the level of the so-called appetite hormone, ghrelin, forcing the holder to constantly experience a feeling of hunger.