WSU researchers find new target for anti-fat drugs

A team of Washington State University researchers might be on the path toward helping drug companies treat obesity and related ailments.

The scientists, led by assistant professor of animal sciences Zhihua Jiang, found that a previously discovered gene has a major effect on fat accumulation in muscle tissues. The finding gives drug makers another avenue for creating anti-obesity medications.

“Obesity is a huge public health problem,” Jiang says. “It’s everywhere.”

The paper was published last month in the inaugural issue of an online, peer-reviewed science journal, PloS ONE (www.plosone.org).

Insulin resistance, in which the body improperly uses sugars, is a byproduct of obesity. Fat stored in muscle tissue contributes to insulin resistance, which is linked to a host of conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, some cancers and other conditions.

Using cattle as a model, the researchers found that a gene called urocortin 3 (UCN3) has an impact on fat stored in muscle.

“We hope the drug can reduce food intake and also help reduce the amount of lipid (fat) accumulated in muscle,” Jiang says.

The UCN3 gene is believed to cut down food intake and delay emptying of the stomach in mice, according to a WSU press release. The researchers found 12 mutations in the UCN3 gene in cattle. Those mutations have an effect on fat deposition in muscle, the release says.

The findings stemmed from research funded by Merial, a company that develops pharmaceutical products and vaccines for livestock, pets and wildlife.

The researchers originally were looking for ways to improve the taste and texture of beef.

“You want to buy beef with high marbling,” Jiang says.

“That’s a good thing for beef. That’s kind of a bad thing for human beings.”

Jiang and his group spent six months on the project. They haven’t received any word yet on whether drug companies are interested in their research.