Obesity is a leading cause of type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses that, together, are expected to claim more lives globally this year than the COVID-19 coronavirus.
In response to this growing health crisis, scientists from Harvard Medical School have developed a promising new cell-based therapy that could provide a powerful tool in combating obesity and its associated diseases.
The study, led by Yu-Hua Tseng and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, presents a novel approach to treating obesity by using genetically modified fat cells.
This innovative therapy centers around transforming white fat cells, which typically store energy, into brown-like fat cells, known for their ability to burn energy and reduce harmful levels of glucose and lipids in the blood.
Brown fat cells are a special type of fat cell that generate heat by burning calories, unlike white fat cells that store energy. This heat generation process not only helps maintain body temperature but also plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar and lipid levels.
Unfortunately, individuals who are overweight or obese generally have fewer brown fat cells, which exacerbates their metabolic problems.
To address this issue, the research team developed what they call HUMBLE (human brown-like) fat cells. These are human white fat cells that have been genetically engineered to behave like brown fat cells.
The transformation was achieved by using a modified version of the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system to increase the expression of a gene called UCP1. This gene is responsible for triggering the development of white fat cells into brown fat-like cells.
In their experiments, the researchers transplanted these HUMBLE cells into mice that lacked an immune system. Remarkably, the transplanted cells functioned similarly to the mice’s natural brown fat cells.
The researchers then compared the effects of these transplants with those of unmodified white fat cells in mice that were fed a high-fat diet, which is commonly used to simulate obesity in animal studies.
The results were striking. Mice that received HUMBLE transplants showed significantly greater sensitivity to insulin and an enhanced ability to clear glucose from their blood—two critical factors that are impaired in type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, these mice gained less weight compared to those that received transplants of regular white fat cells, maintaining a body weight similar to that of mice given brown fat cell transplants.
One surprising finding was that the benefits observed were largely due to signals sent from the transplanted HUMBLE cells to the mice’s existing brown fat cells.
This suggests that the transplanted cells not only functioned on their own but also helped boost the activity of the body’s natural brown fat cells.
If the HUMBLE technique continues to show promise in further research, it could lead to a new treatment for obesity and related metabolic disorders.
The envisioned procedure would involve taking a small sample of a patient’s white fat cells, isolating the progenitor cells (cells that are not yet fully developed), modifying them to enhance UCP1 expression, and then reintroducing the modified HUMBLE cells into the patient’s body.
These cells would then work to improve metabolic health by increasing the body’s ability to burn fat and regulate blood sugar.
This research is particularly significant given the current global health landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the increased risks faced by people with diabetes and obesity, who are more likely to experience severe outcomes if they contract the virus.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the research team is pushing forward with this critical work, aiming to develop effective treatments that could improve the health and lives of millions of people worldwide.
The potential for HUMBLE cells to offer a new way to combat obesity and type 2 diabetes is an exciting development in the field of medical research.
If successful, this therapy could represent a major breakthrough in the fight against two of the most prevalent and deadly health conditions of our time.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight.
For more health information, please see recent studies about a simple path to weight loss, and results showing a non-invasive treatment for obesity and diabetes.
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