obesity tagged posts

Newly discovered mechanism of mitochondrial dysfunction in obesity may drive insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

Mitochondria within liver cells from obese mice show signs of dysfunction by producing excessive reactive oxygen species (red), which is harmful and contributes to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Image courtesy of Renata Goncalves.

A newly discovered mechanism that leads to liver dysfunction may be a key factor in type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders in individuals with obesity, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The dysfunction identified—dysregulated hepatic coenzyme Q metabolism—leads to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by mitochondria at a single specific site in an enzyme called complex I. The researchers say the discovery offers a potential path for new, precise treatments for metabolic diseases.

“Our findings provide the first step toward solving a complex problem in the field of metabolic disease research that has stood for three decades,” said corresponding author Gökhan S...

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Dual-action nanoparticle therapy targets obesity by converting white fat and reducing inflammation

Researchers at Terasaki Institute and University of Maryland School of Pharmacy collaborate to develop a dual-action nanotherapy for obesity
Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of Controlled Release (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.113670

Scientists at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, in collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, have developed a new nanoparticle therapy that tackles obesity through two complementary mechanisms: converting energy-storing white fat into calorie-burning beige fat while simultaneously reducing obesity-related inflammation.

Their findings, published in the Journal of Controlled Release, are detailed in an article titled “Apigenin-loaded nanoparticles for obesity intervention through immunomodulation and adipocyte browning...

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New Brain Discovery could Help in the Fight Against Obesity

New brain discovery could help in the fight against obesity
Credit: Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.074

One of the largest threats to human health is obesity, but now researchers from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute have made an important discovery in how the brain controls food intake.

Obesity and being overweight have become the “new normal” in modern times and can lead to a multitude of health problems. We know that excess weight is primarily caused by eating more calories than the body needs; however, new research published in Current Biology has found a specific cluster of cells in the brain that control body weight.

How the brain controls hunger has not been fully defined. The researchers discovered a cluster of brain cells that can be harnessed to reduce food intake and body weight...

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How Obesity Dismantles our Mitochondria: Study reveals Key Mechanism behind Obesity-related Metabolic Dysfunction

mitochondria
These colored streaks are mitochondrial networks within fat cells. Researchers from UC San Diego discovered that a high-fat diet dismantles mitochondria, resulting in weight gain. Photo credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences

The number of people with obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, resulting in a worldwide epidemic. While lifestyle factors like diet and exercise play a role in the development and progression of obesity, scientists have come to understand that obesity is also associated with intrinsic metabolic abnormalities.

Now, researchers from University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shed new light on how obesity affects our mitochondria, the all-important energy-producing structures of our cells.

In a study published in Nature Metabolism, the researcher...

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