An Iowa State University research team has discovered a method for modifying the function of an enzyme crucial to fat production, which could lead to more effective treatments for childhood obesity and cancer.
While the research was in fruit fly larvae, being able to speed up or slow down lipid metabolism could have significant implications for human health, said Hua Bai, an associate professor of genetics, development and cell biology.
“We’ve identified what’s basically a metabolic switch. It’s like the accelerator on a car,” he said.
The focus of Bai’s research lab is the cellular and molecular mechanisms that cause animals to age. That was the initial intent of studying fatty acid synthase, an enzyme that plays a role in de novo lipogenesis, which is the process of turning excess dietary carbohydrates into fat. Typically, levels of fatty acid synthase rise and fall based on an…
