Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, in New York, claim they have found the genes responsible for storing fat in cells. They have identified the FIT1 and FIT2 (Fat-Inducing Transcripts 1 and 2) genes that package fat in the form of lipid droplets. Storing fat in lipid droplets is important for enabling cells to use fat as an energy source …. but having high amounts of these droplets leads to obesity.
Obesity is a major cause of Type 2 diabetes, which is becoming a world epidemic. The discovery of genes that influence the development of obesity could help allow scientists and physicians to understand why some people gain weight more than others.
The study’s findings could open up a wealth of new avenues to understand and treat obesity and obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes.
Elaine Warburton
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