A * STAR scientists developed a molecular connection between obesity and diabetes -
Scientists from the Institute of Molecular Biology and Cell (IMCB), an institute research under the Agency for science, technology and research (a * STAR), have discovered that obese people lack a protein that is essential to regulate the glucose levels in the blood, making the face higher risks of developing diabetes. Protein is one of the first molecular bonds found between obesity and diabetes is a potential target for treating or preventing diabetes in obese people.
Obesity and diabetes are two common health problems today. A recent analysis reported in The Lancet medical journal, almost a third of the world population is obese or overweight. In Singapore, one in nine Singaporeans is obese and the situation is becoming more widespread with an increase of one percent each year. Obesity inflates the risk of diabetes, which already affects more than 11 percent of the population. Although statistics indicate a link between the two conditions, the mechanism of how obesity leads to diabetes has always been clear.
How diabetes develops from obesity in the absence of Nucks Protein
in the last study published in cell reports online newspaper IMCB researchers have discovered that a protein called Nucks, lack in obese people. Nucks the protein is a key player in the insulin signaling, an important biochemical pathway which is required to meet the hormones insulin, which promote the absorption of glucose to regulate glucose levels in the blood. Without Nucks, obese people develop insulin resistance and are unable to regulate their glucose levels in the blood effectively. This causes the body to constantly experience high levels of glucose in the blood, making them more likely to develop diabetes. These results were supported by the (SBIC) Singapore Bioimaging Consortium advanced bioimaging and metabolic profiling technology to identify the parameters for obesity and diabetes.
The Nucks protein is an important indicator for monitoring the development of diabetes in obese people. It is the first direct molecular link found between health conditions and open new areas of research to identify drugs and explore the lifestyle changes such as dietary habits and exercise that could restore the level of Nucks in the body.
Dr Vinay Tergaonkar, Principal Investigator at IMCB and principal scientist of the study, said: "It is alarming that obesity is a huge risk factor for many diseases, including diabetes. Having identified this protein, we are now a step closer to the abolition of one of these complications of obese people. "
" the world pay much attention to diabetes. Each year billions of dollars are spent on metabolic diseases and much of the spending goes to medicines for diabetes. the findings of our study have huge therapeutic implications because they will not only diabetes to obesity but also for diabetes as a whole, "added Dr. Tergaonkar.
Professor Hong Wanjin, Executive Director of IMCB, said: "IMCB is now focusing research on the molecular mechanisms underlying disease, which is important in the development of future treatments for human diseases in force . We are excited to be a pioneer in the discovery of a molecular link between these two problems common health. the incidence of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity has increased over the years, and these results prove useful for developing therapeutic approaches for them. "
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