Lifestyle

Fat bear DNA could lead to a breakthrough in human obesity treatment

Genes found in hibernating bears — who bulk-up during warmer months and miraculously sleep off pounds during the winter — bare a resemblance to those of obese humans, according to geneticists.

A new study published Tuesday in the journal Cell Reports says the discovery could now lead to weight-loss treatments for humans.

Researchers at the University of Utah are searching for a genetic treatment that would direct the body to mimic animal hibernation, which scientists hope might help mitigate weight gain and stave-off illness, especially metabolic disorders linked to obesity.

“Hibernators have evolved an incredible ability to control their metabolism,” said Christopher Gregg, an associate professor in the Department of Neurology & Anatomy at Utah, in a statement.

Genome sequencing in these animals led researchers to uncover specific gene regions designed to turn-off the body’s appetite and control insulin resistance, which were located in the same region as humans’ obesity genes would be — indicating that a targeted genetic treatment could help humans enjoy the similar effects.

“Since obesity and metabolism shape risks for so many different diseases, the discovery of these parts of the genome is a really exciting insight that lays foundations for many important new research directions,” said Gregg.

Scientists have long been perplexed by this mysterious defense mechanism, and have studied bears extensively for this reason — which is why the current study included other hibernators, such as squirrels, bats, lemurs and hedgehogs.

During the summer, these animals eat around the clock. This process is followed by a period of mostly sleep: no eating, drinking or relieving the bowels or bladder. Their heart rate plummets from 60 beats per minute to just 10, and their blood nitrogen levels skyrocket without causing endocrine disaster.

But unlike humans — who risk developing diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s as a result of obesity and inactivity — the animals emerge from their burrow in top form.

Gregg and his peers on the study believe that hibernators have a “biological superpower” that puts genes associated with obesity to sleep along with their hosts, making their bodies less vulnerable to the effects of idleness. They hope to harness this pound-shedding power using CRISPR.

“Metabolism shapes risks for a lot of different diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Gregg. “We believe that understanding the parts of the genome that are linked to hibernation will help us learn to control risks for some these major diseases.”

Authors note that hibernators actually do develop diabetes, but only temporarily. They resume producing insulin at a healthy rate upon waking in the spring. Not only do these animals maintain their muscle mass during winter, they actually get stronger from the weight gain.

So unfair.