There are different kinds of fat cells including white fat cells and brown fat cells. Excess weight comes from white fat cells which store extra food, but brown fat cells burn the extra energy, resulting in losing more weight. Now, Professor Dr. Alexander Pfeifer and other scientists working with him are developing new ways of turning the white cells into brown cells. They discovered a way to "switch" microRNA in mice to turn the white cells into brown cells. MicroRNA is very important because it controls gene activity. The specific gene if microRNA 155 that controls brown fat function (biology news). When microRNA is controlling the production of brown white cells, it is limiting the amount being made, but they found a way to to make the transcription produce brown fat faster to make themice burn fat quicker. When the proportions are off, the cell will read it, and they will keep making more brown fat cells. The scientists are now looking toward the future, and they want to start developing drugs to lower the obesity rate. They are confident that it will work in humans, just as it did with the mice, but it will be a while until they develop a suitable drugs.NOS Themes:
Role of motivation and curiosity because scientists want to combat obesity by trying to make it easer to lose weight.
Science is collaborative because Pfeifer and other scientists are working together to solve the problem.
I thought that this post was very interesting. This article shows just how far science has progressed throught the years. It is very fascinating to learn that scientists may have found a treatment for decreasing the obesity rates. I'm curious has to how the scientists "switch" the fat cells from white cells to brown cells. I never knew that scientists did their experiments rats, but it interesting to learn that since the results in the rats have been positive, that it will also work in humans.
ReplyDelete