A magic bullet for obesity?
But be careful what you wish for.
At least in mice, researchers have had some success in targeting a gene for obesity:
…[S]cientists are working toward a drug that would allow patients to lose weight without exercising or making any changes to their diet.
Led by Prof. Damien Keating, researchers at Australia’s Flinders University started by identifying an obesity-related gene in rodents, known as RCAN1. The team then genetically altered a batch of mice, in order to remove that gene. Those animals were subsequently put on a variety of diets over time periods ranging from eight weeks to six months. In all cases, even when being fed high-fat foods, none of the mice gained weight.
It was found that with the RCAN1 out of the way, the animals’ bodies were much better at converting “unhealthy” energy-storing white fat into healthy energy-burning brown fat. This occurred even as the mice were resting.
Not all phenomena that occur in rodents are transferable to humans, of course, but some are. However, the article also states something extremely interesting:
[Scientists] will additionally have to take potential side effects into account, as the gene protects cells against stressors that can lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
That’s why the first sentence of this post is, “Be careful what you wish for.” I’ve noticed it’s often the case that something noxious, or seemingly noxious, in the natural world has unacknowledged benefits, and eradicating that thing (whatever it may be) can have unintended negative consequences.
For example, that’s true with predators or insects that are eliminated and then something else (often the thing they preyed on) grows out of control. Or drugs are invented that deal with one physical problem successfully, but the overall death rate of the population taking it doesn’t go down.
Curious, no?
…it’s often the case that something noxious, or seemingly noxious, in the natural world has unacknowledged benefits…
A classic example is the gene mutation responsible for sickle cell anemia, which also protects against malaria.
Not surprisingly this mutation (and the disease) is far more prevalent in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa with high malaria rates.
huxley:
Please see this.
This thing sounds like it’s at least 10 years away from coming to the market. And it will probably never get to a full fledged phase III, where you get human efficacy in clinic.
I’ve seen a billion biotechs out there that could grow hair on rats, monkeys even, but not one has ever gotten to a phase III (not even Rogaine, which was approved for another indication).
Biotech is one slow moving field.
@neo: that’s true with predators or insects that are eliminated and then something else (often the thing they preyed on) grows out of control.
Genes work in just about exactly this way. Every population and every organism within that population represents a sort of equilibrium in the power struggle of genes. Getting rid of a “bad” gene is going to have an effect on that equilibrium which may be hard to predict, and may be worse than heaving left well enough alone.
Genes in themselves aren’t really “for” anything. They’re proteins. The effects they have in an organism depend on what else is in there, as well as the environment outside the organism.
Things like this always remind me of “Flowers for Algernon”….
AKA “Beware of “magic bullets”?
To be sure, there’s always Tennyson’s “Better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all”. It goes without saying that it’s even better to have tried and succeeded….
But hmmm, wonder what’s happened to that very audacious(?!) Chinese biologist who disappeared from site this past week. (Talk about a shooting star.)
For example, that’s true with predators or insects that are eliminated and then something else (often the thing they preyed on) grows out of control.
Is that like Dems and Rep in CA? Just asking.
@Lynn Hargrove:Is that like Dems and Rep in CA?
QUIMBY: For decimating our pigeon population, and making Springfield a less oppressive place to while away our worthless lives, I present you with this scented candle.
SKINNER: Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend.
LISA: But isn’t that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we’re overrun by lizards?
SKINNER: No problem. We simply unleash wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They’ll wipe out the lizards.
LISA: But aren’t the snakes even worse?
SKINNER: Yes, but we’re prepared for that. We’ve lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.
LISA: But then we’re stuck with gorillas!
SKINNER: No, that’s the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.
Personally, I take obesity over Alzheimers any day.
universal draft would work better now that women can do all the work
once domestiocated, we wont need many men – after all, any book on domesticating an animal shows you foment femail supriority (they gonna do all the work even the mens work) then reduce the number of men..
not like the people of last century gave up, they just refined their games
as i explained elswher
over time, serial killers get better, because each victim makes the same beginner mistakes, and the serial killer gets to see them, and so, get better at what they do, as they know what to expect.
same with this game..
the political left has been practicing on new victims for 100 years, the victims next in line, dont learn the game. so like the serial killer, each NEW unexperienced person, makes the same mistakes, and so is easy to counter. over time, you get the rare originals too.
Voila, a bunch of people who didnt want to learn, thought it was too long, didnt have any bad intentions, and didnt take the game as seriously as the people who will move into their homes or lives as they did before
You may notice that ex soviet states do not allow the things we allow. oh, we are told they are nationalist and racist, and so on and so on… but the truth is, they were part of the tgame, and why would they, with prior knowlege, let that happen in their own homes once they have experience?
experience is worth what you pay for isnt it?
we didnt pay enough last century, did we?
this century, you cant give it away…
but dont worry, they will succeed, they have experience, assistance, collletive action, and a loyal army of malcontents who, if they lose, have no place in the world!! not like you guys are offering them better, quite the opposite.
anyhow.. if hillel isnt enough, and the shoa isnt enough and worlstorm isnt enough, and confessions, and virtue signalling, and the deer that was a horse, and all that isnt enough
you figure out waht the end result of failure is and remember
reasons dont change anything except in the mind
meaning they change nothing real…
obesity serves its purpose..
you die early
you have miserable life with less money requireing state aid
you are harrased by people, so want that fixed
you are less liked, making you open to being love bombed
One-Third of Youths Too Obese for Military Service, Study Finds
this is good… not like we need the guys anymore we now have women to call up to draft and send out to battle for us unfit unemployable racist hated oppressors… one nice small conflict and plop, below replacement completes and no recovery possible no matter what is done, even if they know!!!!!!!!!!! [war is not just guns, its demographics, finance, impacted childbirth, self interest, different voting groups… i wont suggest reading unlimited warfare, its better as a suprise… ask the people who wen through the dp camps! ah the fun]
Thanks Ladies!!!
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Volume 18, Issue 3, Supplement 1, April 2000, Pages 141-146
High injury rates among female army trainees: a function of gender?
Army stats show that women are injured twice as often as men in combat training
actually, they dont… just like we dont tell them inconvenient med truths, which later, means what for their happiness.. like how low the success rate of freezing eggs is while your waiting for a prince charming you kicked out of college and wont ever be there (about 1 out of three docs in schools are foriegn. the rest are mostly women)
Marine experiment finds women get injured more frequently, shoot less accurately than men
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/09/10/marine-experiment-finds-women-get-injured-more-frequently-shoot-less-accurately-than-men/?utm_term=.474fffaa0036
thats ok.. we didnt mind that kind of thing for firefighters…
we know the titanic, the unsinkable ship that sunk
we also know Violet Constance Jessop “Miss Unsinkable”
Norwegian Frigate Sunk In Collision with Oil Tanker had 80% Shieldmaiden Crew
on a clear day
with fully modern radar and gps and more
these women succeeded in colliding with a oil tanker, and sinking an unsinkable frigate!
oh, and basically bankrupted their nations defense!!!!!!
[hey, not like they terrorised california showing off firing a missiel, oh, wait]
here is a comment from Russia! [you do know what sputnik is now, no?]
sarcasm
I have no worries… now i can be liked more than right!
[like that is a good thing!]
but then again, i have no dogs in any of these fights any more
i have changed…
/sarcasm
🙂
I have made a living sueing drug companies on behalf of people harmed due to undisclosed side effects of drugs which are otherwise efficacious.
I don’t reckon they’re gonna get out in front of “proper diet & exercise & otherwise health-producing habits.” No pill or spliced-gene replicates how we were designed to function to our fullest. And some natural errors in sequencing are all part of what it means to be human.
I have made a living sueing drug companies on behalf of people harmed due to undisclosed side effects of drugs which are otherwise efficacious.
stu: Don’t get me started.
Heroin was the name Bayer chose for this morphine derivative because at the time authorities believed it wasn’t addictive but a “heroic” response to pain alleviation. Bayer even promoted it to children.
https://www.businessinsider.com/yes-bayer-promoted-heroin-for-children-here-are-the-ads-that-prove-it-2011-11
Then there was the mania for amphetamines as diet pills, mood elevators and performance enhancers. True enough … except for the hideous side-effects in terms of addiction and brain damage.
Likewise, the wonders of the Thorazine drugs, which were supposed to provide safe alleviation from mental illness … except for the hideous side-effect of tardive dyskinesia — permanent brain damage which leaves the victim twitching uncontrollably for the rest of his or her life. Other stuff too.
I saw all this first-hand in my family. Every day I thank the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies for their psychiatric drug blessings.
There are many who will risk anything to stay LOOKING good, even if their brain dies an early death.
@neo:drugs are invented that deal with one physical problem successfully, but the overall death rate of the population taking it doesn’t go down.
I would be amazed if any drug could lower the death rate for any population to less than 100%.