A natural protein might help the body rid itself
of fat while suppressing appetite.
Researchers say the protein,
called ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), acts
directly with muscles, boosting the body's fat-burning
ability as it helps protect against some of the
effects of obesity.
"While hormones such as leptin were initially
thought to be the cure-all for weight loss, they
were later found to be ineffective in obesity due
to the presence of proteins which inhibit their
ability to stimulate fat metabolism. Fortunately,
CNTF's effects on fat burning are maintained,"
research leader Dr. Greg Steinberg, of the University
of Melbourne in Australia, said in a prepared statement.
Reporting in this week's issue of Nature Medicine,
his team found that CNTF activates an enzyme called
skeletal muscle AMP kinase, which in turns boosts
the body's ability to metabolize fat and sugar.
The pathways activated by CNTF are similar to those
activated by exercise. The findings may help in
the development of new ways to reduce the risk of
metabolic abnormalities associated with excess weight.
The study was funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation
of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
(CIHR), and the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Until recently, most obesity research has concentrated
on the regulation of appetite by hormones such as
leptin.
"Dr. Steinberg's finding is significant because
this new pathway that overcomes leptin resistance
opens the door to a more promising avenue for the
development of a therapeutic anti-obesity agent,"
Dr. Diane Finegood, scientific director of the CIHR's
Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes,
said in a prepared statement.
