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Researchers said that suppressing the protein KLF-15, previously identified for its role in cell metabolism and more abundant in brown and beige fats that burn calories, causes cells to change their function.
For the first time, scientists have found a way to assist obese individuals with excess fat in losing weight, as reported by Al Rai newspaper.
Scientists from the University of California have discovered that by suppressing just one protein, white fat stores can be converted into calorie-burning fat, as detailed in New Atlas.
According to Al Arabiya, researchers have concluded that suppressing the protein KLF-15, previously identified for its role in cell metabolism and more abundant in brown and beige fats that burn calories, causes cells to change their function.
The study also reveals that in the absence of the KLF-15 protein, fat cells default to a beige state rather than the predominant white.
Professor Brian Feldman, an endocrinology expert and lead researcher on the study, stated in the journal Clinical Investigation that these findings suggest suppressing KLF-15 converts white fat cells into brown fat cells, with less resistance than previously believed.
Previously, scientists focused on converting stem cells into calorie-burning brown or beige fat, which the body primarily uses to regulate temperature.
These cells burn fat stores, while white adipose tissue is more resistant to conversion during weight loss.
Until now, it was believed that stem cells were necessary from the outset. However, by suppressing KLF-15, it may be much easier to accelerate effective, long-term weight loss than previously thought.
Thanks to extensive research in this field, it is known that mammals possess a mixture of brown and white fat, with recently discovered sandy-colored adipose tissue lying somewhere in between.
White fat cells serve as energy reserves, releasing fatty acids when energy is required. However, some individuals have such a surplus of energy that these acids are not easily used to burn calories and lose weight.
Sand-colored fat cells, like brown fat tissue, efficiently burn energy but are interspersed within white fat tissue. In experiments with lab mice, disabling the KLF-15 protein caused sand-colored fat cells to enlarge, displacing white fat cells and significantly reducing fat stores.
The researchers then cultured human fat cells to explore if KLF-15 could convert fat stores into calorie-burning powerhouses. They found that the protein directly controlled a receptor called Adrb1, suggesting a potential drug targeting it could offer a more effective weight loss option than GLP-1 treatments, which are associated with broader side effects.
