That our genetic make-up plays a role metabolism is not new. But will we ever understand the slight nuances of metabolism genetics that we can control it?

A recently published article at eLab’s ScientistLive is promisingly titled Gene may lead to diabetes prevention, cure. It refers to research published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry <Abstract>. Let’s take a look at what this paper is all about.

Feeding mice a high-fat diet is known to increase fat levels (adiposity) in the animal and decrease insulin sensitivity (read Type II Diabetes). The link between these two phenomena may be caused by fat tissue dysfunction rather than just the actual fat. It appears that mice fed high-fat diets have chronic low-grade inflammation in their fatty tissue. This is inflammation without a wound or infection, the normal causes of this immune response. Having that inflammation seems to interfere with insulin signalling. So, understanding fat metabolism and the causes of inflammation in fatty tissue may lead us to therapy in the future.

In the study cited, they study a gene expressed in fat tissue in mice, called PFKFB3. When the genes’ function is reduced, mice fed a high-fat diet don’t gain as much fat, but have a higher incidence of insulin resistance. Also, these mice had more fatty tissue dysfunction than normal mice fed the same diet. So although this gene seems to promote the development of fatty tissue, it also protects against diet-induced insulin resistance and the inflammatory response.

The promised prevention/cure of Type II Diabetes is still a long way off if this is the inroad, but it’s exciting that the genetic link between the inflammation in fatty tissue, and not just simply fatty tissue itself, may be a target of future therapy.