Recently, a research paper published in Nature Communications, has claimed that a key gene that leads to obesity was found. The genes presents in all cells of the body, and it can encode a protein called 14-3-3ζ.

The researchers pointed that when silencing the expression of gene in the mouse body, a special type of unhealthy white fat in the mice body would decrease by 50%. This kind of fat has direct relation with the occurrence of obesity, heart attach and Diabetes. Moreover, although the mice will intake the same amount of food, but the body fat content is reduced. And mice with higher 14-3-3ζ protein levels tend to be larger and round in shape. When they were feed with high-calorie food, the white fat will increase by 22% in average.

Earlier in this year, many researchers have noticed that there are at least 100 regions in the human genome that are directly related to obesity. Those genomic regions seemed to causing obesity by adjusting the feeling of hunger and the fat distribution in the body. However, in previous studies, scientists haven’t identify the gene that encode 14-3-3ζ, a gene that could control the generation and growth of fat cells.

In this paper, the researchers have linked certain proteins with fat, providing new ideas for the development of new obesity drug therapy. The scientists believe that by suppressing or blocking the expression of this gene can inhibit the fat accumulation in the overweight individuals. Dr. Gareth Lim, one of the researchers in this study, commented: people generate fat in to ways-fat cells multiply or single fat cell expansion. While 14-3-3ζ can both affect the number of fact cells but also the expansion of it, playing an important role in the growth cycle of fat cells.

Actually, four years ago, scientists had laid focus on 14-3-3 protein family and they did find the presentation of this protein in the unhealthy adipose tissue in obese individuals. While this novel study has not only find the true reason, but also the causal relationship between this protein and fat accumulation.

Obesity is often directly related to diabetes, heart diseases and increased risk of some cancers. While the number of obese is been in the surge, we still don’t know how fat cells are generated. But what do know is how to take good advantages of current research results to help develop new strategies to inhibit obesity.