In a new study from Indiana University, researchers found a stomach-specific protein plays a major role in the development of obesity.
The finding could help create treatments that help people struggling with achieving and maintaining weight loss.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control show adult obesity rates have increased to 42.4 percent in the United States.
In addition to increasing an individual’s risk of stroke, diabetes, certain cancers and other health issues, obesity can also increase the risk of severe illness due to COVID-19.
In the study, the team focused on Gastrokine-1 (GKN1)—a protein produced exclusively and abundantly in the stomach.
Previous research has suggested GKN1 is resistant to digestion, allowing it to pass into the intestine and interact with microbes in the gut.
The researchers found that inhibiting GKN1 produced big differences in weight and levels of body fat in comparison to when the protein was expressed.
Mice without GKN1 weighed less and had lower levels of total body fat and higher percentages of lean mass—despite consuming the same amount of food.
When put on a high-fat diet, models without GKN1 showed resistance to weight gain, increased body fat and hepatic inflammation, which can lead to liver disease.
Researchers also found no evidence of adverse effects such as cancer, diabetes, loss of appetite, malabsorption or inflammation.
The team says these results are an example of how a better understanding of the gut microbiome and the physiological aspects of obesity—how the body regulates metabolism and accumulates body fat—could help inform new therapies.
While more research is needed to determine the efficacy of blocking GKN1 to prevent obesity, the team says if proved as a viable solution, such therapies could reduce the burden on health care systems and help improve the quality of life for patients.
If you care about obesity, please read studies about this hormone may help beat obesity and findings of this anti-obesity drug can lead to large weight loss.
For more information about obesity and weight loss, please see recent studies about this appetite drug may help treat obesity effectively and results showing that these wholegrain foods may help prevent liver inflammation and weight gain.
The study is published in Scientific Reports. One author of the study is David Boone, Ph.D.
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