Gene Linked to Obesity, Diabetes Is Identified

Scientists have identified a gene that plays a central role in the development of obesity and diabetes and could pave the way for new drugs to treat the diseases.

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston discovered that mice genetically prone to obesity or those fed a high-fat diet had higher activity in a gene called JNK than normal mice. But animals lacking JNK had less body fat and were less likely to suffer from insulin-resistance that precedes Type 2, or adult onset, diabetes.

Gokhan Hotamisligil and his colleagues, who reported the identification of the gene in this week's issue of Nature, believe it could work in humans and that blocking its action could form the basis of new drugs for obesity and diabetes.