Researchers Study a Protein Linked to Fat
Researchers at a New Jersey pharmaceutical company have found what could be a breakthrough in treating obesity.
Bei Zhang and his colleagues at Merck Research Laboratories report that they studied the protein that regulates the synthesis of fats, working both with liver cells and with mice. They found that using certain small specific molecules to block the production of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) decreased body fat and reduced obesity.
Zhang’s findings were published on line Thursday and are scheduled to appear in the April 1 edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The researchers say their findings show that SCD1 is a potential target for effective treatment of obesity, a condition that has been hard to treat successfully.