Research links obesity to immune system – RTE.ie

Research by an international team of scientists and doctors, including some in Ireland, has established a strong connection between obesity and the immune system.

The researchers say their findings open up novel areas for treating some people who find it difficult to lose weight, and should lead to new strategies aimed at preventing obesity in the first place.

Traditionally weight gain and obesity have been seen by people as the result of bad diet and inadequate exercise.

But according to experts, the majority of people find it very difficult to lose weight once they gain it, because the causes of obesity are far more complex.

Research carried out by scientists and doctors here, in the US and in Canada has established the way in which the immune system plays a significant role in weight management in many people.

The scientists, led by Dr Lydia Lynch, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, and Associate Professor, Trinity College Dublin, found a common immune cell called iNKT cell disrupts the fat burning process.

It is involved in the creation of proteins called FGF-21, which help the body to turn white fat into brown fat, causing large amounts of energy and therefore weight to be used up.

The team discovered that stimulating the body to produce iNKT cells, the production of FGF-21 could be increased, leading to the burning of larger amounts of fat.

Up to 40% of the body’s ability to keep our weight in check is related to the immune system, they say.

“This new knowledge opens up novel areas for treating weight loss, and will greatly enhance our ability to improve existing hormone treatments for weight loss,” Dr Lynch said in a statement.

The findings of the research, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, have been successfully tested in patients attending the obesity clinic of Professor Donal O’Shea, Consultant Endocrinologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital and the Conway Institute, University College Dublin.

“These findings represent a significant step forward in our understanding of why people often find it so hard to lose weight, despite their best efforts,” he said.

“The findings should help break many of the stigmas associated with obesity, and most importantly, they could dramatically improve outcomes for patients. Ultimately, this research underlies the absolute importance of prevention of weight gain in the first place. This work should be used by policy makers to prioritise obesity prevention strategies, especially childhood obesity’.

The research was funded by the Health Research Board in Ireland, the European Research Council and the National Institute of Health, USA.

from myhealtyze http://www.myhealtyze.tk/research-links-obesity-to-immune-system-rte-ie/