London (Reuters) - scientists have found that a gene linked to diabetes and cholesterol is a "master switch" which should help controls other genes found in fat in the body and say in the search for treatments for obesity-related diseases.
In a study published in the journal Nature Genetics, the British researchers said that, because fat plays an important role in the susceptibility of people to metabolic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the regulator gene may be target for drugs to treat these diseases.
"This is the first major study that shows how small changes in a single master regulator gene can cause a cascade of other metabolic effects in other genes," said Tim Spector of College London of the King, who led the study.
More than half a billion people, or of 1 in 10 adults worldwide are obese and the numbers have doubled since the 1980s as the obesity epidemic overflowed rich in poor countries.
In the United States, obesity-related diseases already represent about 10% of medical expenses--147 billion more per year.
Type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, is reaching epidemic levels in the world as the rate of increase of obesity.
Scientists have already identified a gene called KLF14 as being related to 2 levels of cholesterol and diabetes type, but until now, they knew what role he played.
Spector team analyzed more than 20,000 genes in fat samples under the British 800 volunteers female twin skin. They found a link between the KLF14 gene and the levels of many other genes in adipose tissue, showing that KLF14 acts as a master switch to control these genes.
Then, they confirmed their conclusions 600 fat samples of a distinct group of people in the Iceland.
In a report of their study, the researchers explained that other genes were to be controlled by KLF14 are linked to a range of metabolic traits, including body mass index, obesity, cholesterol, glucose and insulin levels.
"KLF14 appears to act as a general switch, control processes that connect changes in the behaviour of subcutaneous fat of disturbances in the muscles and the liver that contribute to diabetes and other conditions," said Mark McCarthy, of the University of Oxford of Britainwho also worked on the study.
"We are working hard... to understand these processes and how we use this information to improve the treatment of these conditions."
(Statement by Kate Kelland, editing by Mark Heinrich)
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