Gene Is To Blame For Childhood Obesity
Author: Mark Velov
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
The loss of a region (deletion) in the SH2B gene, located on chromosome 16, leads to a severe form of obesity in children ...
U.S. researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered the causes of severe forms of obesity, which develop at an early age. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature.
The study involved 300 children with severe obesity. The researchers analyzed the genomes of each of the volunteers to see if there were differences in the number of copies of certain segments of DNA.
The researchers compared the DNA of overweight patients with the genetic material of more than 7,000 normal-weight children.
The absence of certain parts of the genome has been found in obese patients.
The analysis showed that the loss of a region (deletion) in the SH2B gene located on chromosome 16 leads to severe obesity in children. These mutations were found in five obese patients and in only two of the normal-weight children in the control group. According to the authors of the study, the SH2B1 gene is responsible for weight regulation and blood sugar levels. Any change in this gene causes metabolic disorders that lead to weight gain and obesity.
Scientists who translated the study are adamant that finding the genetic causes of obesity will play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood obesity.
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