Gene-blocking could be key to curbing obesity

PhD candidate Brent Wakefield led a breakthrough study that could be crucial in addressing obesity. (Photo by Max Martin/Western Communications) It sounds too good to be true: blocking a gene linked to obesity to trigger a major reduction in body fat. While it's not a reality for humans yet, it could be one step closer thanks to new discoveries from a team of anatomy and cell biology researchers in a lab led by Silvia Penuela at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. The team has discovered that deleting a specific gene in male mice results in a reduction in fat and an increase in muscle mass equivalent to working out one hour per day, five days a week for six weeks. It's a remarkable finding that Penuela said could eventually have a significant impact on obesity treatment. In this recent study led by PhD candidate Brent Wakefield, published in the International Journal of Obesity , the Penuela Lab examined a gene called Pannexin 3 (PANX3) and its impact on fat tissues in mice. The study involved collaboration with other labs at Western, including professor Frank Beier's, and at the University of Toronto.