Scientists at University College Dublin have shown that a naturally-occurring molecule could help reduce the cause of many obesity-related diseases. The research also represents a brand new way of understanding how the body copes with body fat and how it controls its response.
The findings from UCD's Conway Institute and from researchers in the United States are published today in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism. In it, they show that one molecule, called lipoxin, can control cells in the immune system and help drive down the risk of obesity-related disease such as liver cirrhosis, diabetes and kidney disease.
Prof Catherine Godson of UCD, who led the study, said the research represents a "paradigm shift" in the understanding of how the body copes with obesity-based inflammation.
These diseases stem from the body's fat cells, known as adipose tissue. The fat can build up around organs and can trigger an immune cell response to cause localised inflammation.
Problems occur if this inflammation response happens over a long period of time, which can lead to serious damage to the organs.
This research shows that lipoxins help stimulate molecules that dampen down these attacks.
“Lipoxins don’t actually block inflammation,” said Prof Godson. “Instead of being anti-inflammatory, they’re pro-resolution. So what we’re doing is we’re mimicking what happens in health. That’s what the real advantage of this is.”
This advantage could also help in any future medicines based on lipoxin. Since it is based on something natural, future drugs would target only this adipose tissue and be less harmful to the patient.
The research, funded in part by Science Foundation Ireland, involved treating lab mice who had been fed a high-fat diet with naturally-occurring lipoxin. The treatments were effective, but the team also found similar results with an artificial lipoxin made by UCD's School of Chemical Biology. This artificial alternative could prove cheaper and easier to manufacture for future patient therapies.
Obesity is a growing problem within Ireland, with recent figures showing 66 per cent of Irish men and 51 per cent of Irish women over the age of 20 being classified as overweight. This approach represents a new direction for future research in the fight against obesity-related diseases.