NEW YORK (Reuters) - Myriad Genetics Inc. said it has discovered a gene that directly causes human obesity and that it should be relatively easy to develop drugs to combat the condition.
The biotechnology company, based in Salt Lake City, said the gene, HOB1, also appears to provide an important molecular link between obesity and diabetes.
The discovery may be more meaningful than other genes that have been found for obesity because the company has tested the gene not only in animals but also using the genetically close human population of Utah and medical databases.
The company said the structure of the gene makes it amenable to being attacked with a small molecule drug, which means a pill rather than an injection. It may also be easier to develop drugs to compensate for the genetic mutation because the gene is too active rather than not active enough. It is easier to knock out function than to create it.
Nearly one-third of Americans are moderately to severely obese, according to the company.
undefined NEW YORK (Reuters) - Myriad Genetics Inc. said it has discovered a gene that directly causes human obesity and that it should be relatively easy to develop drugs to combat the condition.
The biotechnology company, based in Salt Lake City, said the gene, HOB1, also appears to provide an important molecular link between obesity and diabetes.
The discovery may be more meaningful than other genes that have been found for obesity because the company has tested the gene not only in animals but also using the genetically close human population of Utah and medical databases.
The company said the structure of the gene makes it amenable to being attacked with a small molecule drug, which means a pill rather than an injection. It may also be easier to develop drugs to compensate for the genetic mutation because the gene is too active rather than not active enough. It is easier to knock out function than to create it.
Nearly one-third of Americans are moderately to severely obese, according to the company.
Whew! No more of that silly "Watching what you eat" or "Exercise" stuff. Isn't science great? Who's to bet that though one-third of Americans are obese, less than one in twenty have this gene?
The biotechnology company, based in Salt Lake City, said the gene, HOB1, also appears to provide an important molecular link between obesity and diabetes.
The discovery may be more meaningful than other genes that have been found for obesity because the company has tested the gene not only in animals but also using the genetically close human population of Utah and medical databases.
The company said the structure of the gene makes it amenable to being attacked with a small molecule drug, which means a pill rather than an injection. It may also be easier to develop drugs to compensate for the genetic mutation because the gene is too active rather than not active enough. It is easier to knock out function than to create it.
Nearly one-third of Americans are moderately to severely obese, according to the company.
undefined NEW YORK (Reuters) - Myriad Genetics Inc. said it has discovered a gene that directly causes human obesity and that it should be relatively easy to develop drugs to combat the condition.
The biotechnology company, based in Salt Lake City, said the gene, HOB1, also appears to provide an important molecular link between obesity and diabetes.
The discovery may be more meaningful than other genes that have been found for obesity because the company has tested the gene not only in animals but also using the genetically close human population of Utah and medical databases.
The company said the structure of the gene makes it amenable to being attacked with a small molecule drug, which means a pill rather than an injection. It may also be easier to develop drugs to compensate for the genetic mutation because the gene is too active rather than not active enough. It is easier to knock out function than to create it.
Nearly one-third of Americans are moderately to severely obese, according to the company.
Whew! No more of that silly "Watching what you eat" or "Exercise" stuff. Isn't science great? Who's to bet that though one-third of Americans are obese, less than one in twenty have this gene?
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