Chaperoning fat storage: The molecular basis of adiposity
November 27, 2023
Researchers found that HSP47, a collagen-specific chaperone, is a key determinant of body fat levels. HSP47 expression levels are upregulated with obesity and greater food intake and decreased with fasting, exercise, calorie restriction, bariatric surgery, and wasting syndrome, suggesting that HSP47 modulation has a profound effect on fat storage.
Scientists may have discovered a new way in which fasting helps reduce inflammation -- a potentially damaging side-effect of the body's immune system that underlies a number of chronic diseases.
As the world's population increases, cultivated or lab-grown meat -- animal muscle and fat cells grown in laboratory conditions -- has emerged as a potential way to satisfy future protein needs. And edible, inexpensive plant proteins could be used to grow these cell cultures. Now, researchers report that the non-allergenic wheat protein glutenin successfully grew striated muscle layers and flat fat layers, which could be combined to produce meat-like textures.
Researchers found that when mice were fed a high-fat diet, mitochondria within their fat cells broke apart and were less able to burn fat, leading to weight gain. They also found they could reverse the effect by targeting a single gene, suggesting a new treatment strategy for obesity.
