Medical

Major obesity advance takes out targeted fat depots anywhere in the body

Major obesity advance takes out targeted fat depots anywhere in the body
Scientists have used positively charged nanomaterials to selectively target fat depots in the bodies of mice
Scientists have used positively charged nanomaterials to selectively target fat depots in the bodies of mice
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Scientists have used positively charged nanomaterials to selectively target fat depots in the bodies of mice
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Scientists have used positively charged nanomaterials to selectively target fat depots in the bodies of mice
A promising new treatment for obesity could see charged nanomaterials used to take out
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A promising new treatment for obesity could see charged nanomaterials used to take out specific fat depots in the body

The fat cells of an elite athlete can appear quite different to those in an obese subject, and technologies that make one function more like the other could unlock powerful new therapies for the condition. Scientists are reporting an exciting advance in this field, demonstrating how positively-charged nanomaterials can be injected into unhealthy fat to return it to a healthy state, laying the foundation for treatments that selectively target fat depots anywhere in the body.

Led by scientists at Columbia University, the research was published across two papers and centers on the different functions fat cells can take on in the human body, and the difference between healthy fat metabolism and unhealthy fat formation. Fat cells store energy in the form of lipids, but when they're tasked with taking on too much, they start to grow large and undergo changes to specific genes, ultimately leading to obesity.

The research team set out to remodel these fat cells rather than simply destroy them, and have found success using a positively charged nanomaterial called PAMAM generation 3 (P-G3). The scientists were inspired to deploy P-G3 against fat cells after finding that some fat tissue contains a negatively charged extracellular matrix (ECM), the support structure for the cells. This raised the possibility that the ECM could act as a transport system for positively charged molecules.

So, the team injected P-G3 into obese mice and indeed found that it spread rapidly throughout the fat tissue. They were surprised to find, however, that the nanomaterial had the effect of shutting down the lipid storage function of the fat cells, effectively returning them to a younger, healthier state. The mice lost weight as a result.

“With P-G3, fat cells can still be fat cells, but they can't grow up,” said study author Kam Leon. “Our studies highlight an unexpected strategy to treat visceral adiposity and suggest a new direction of exploring cationic nanomaterials for treating metabolic diseases.”

While the nanomaterial had the effect of neutralizing the lipid storage of the fat cells, it still allowed them to carry out their other functions, and even promoted the formation of new fat cells. The effect was mice with smaller, younger and more metabolically healthy fat cells, like those seen in newborns and athletes. Promisingly, the scientists also demonstrated the technique on human fat biopsies, boding well for the path to clinical use.

A promising new treatment for obesity could see charged nanomaterials used to take out
A promising new treatment for obesity could see charged nanomaterials used to take out specific fat depots in the body

What is unique about the technology is its potential to offer targeted treatment for obesity. Fat “depots,” as they're called, tend to be spaced intermittently around the body rather than forming one continuous lump of flabby tissue, but treating them in a selective manner has proven challenging. The scientists imagine one day using their technique to tackle specific fat depots, such as a pot belly or double chin, in the same way Botox is used to target specific patches of skin.

“We’re very excited to discover that cationic charge is the secret to targeting adipose tissue,” said team leader Li Qiang. “Now we can shrink fat in a depot-specific manner – anywhere we want – and in a safe way without destroying fat cells. This is a major advance in treating obesity.”

Further, because obesity is a driver of so many adverse health effects, from diabetes, to cancer, to cardiovascular disease, the scientists believe the technology could become a powerful new platform to deliver drugs and gene therapy to select fat depots. This could see drugs previously proven unsafe when administered systemically repurposed for use in a targeted manner.

The research was published in the journals Nature Nanotechnology and Biomaterials

Source: Columbia University

11 comments
11 comments
Don Martin
If this works out as planned, we are talking about billions of pounds - in both meanings
Daveb
Looking forward to my six pack
akarp
"technologies that make one function more like the other could unlock powerful new therapies for the condition"
umm, like eating almost no sugar and exercising??
akarp
"Further, because obesity is a driver of so many adverse health effects, from diabetes, to cancer, to cardiovascular disease"
NO.
Eating processed 'foods' and sugars along with little to no exercise is the cause. These symptoms are are simply correlated with each other.
Jinpa
Botox is a liquid, nano particles are not, so the allegation that treatment would be "in the same way Botox is used to target specific patches of skin." doesn't seem accurate. What happens to the particles once they have done their job? How can the particles be retrieved if they turn out to have some negative quality?
Trylon
This article mostly concentrates on cosmetic fat reduction. But this would be a boon to health if they can target visceral fat, the stuff that's deep inside your abdomen. You can't see it, but gram for gram, it's far more hazardous to your health than subcutaneous fat, the stuff just under the skin that gives you that pot belly or double chin.
Chase
Always have to temper expectations for stuff like this. How are these nanomaterials metabolized by the body and do they present their own side effects now found in the mouse models?
kornpophunter
Please forward this article to the incoming senator for Pennsylvania...
Smokey_Bear
So when can I buy my "6-pack-in-a-pill"?
nameless minion
I must have missed something. If the "bad" adipocytes will no longer be allowed to grow, i.e.,store more lipids, where will the lipids previously stored there go? Into new adipocytes? Seems like you wouldn't lose weight that way. Seems like you must still ingest fewer nutrients to enable weight loss.
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