Two genes identified (BSN and APBA1) that can increase the risk of obesity up to six times. This was revealed by a study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge and published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Some rare mutations in the BSN and APBA1 genes increase the risk of developing obesity only in adulthood.
The researchers used data from the UK Biobank on more than 500,000 individuals. They found that genetic variants of BSN (also known as Bassoon), which affect 1 in 6,500 adults, can increase the risk of obesity by up to six times and are also associated with an increased risk of non-alcoholic liver (fatty liver) disease and type 2 diabetes.
Unlike previously identified obesity genes, variants in BSN and APBA1 are not associated with childhood obesity. For this reason, researchers believe they have discovered a new biological mechanism for obesity, different from those already known and linked to other previously identified obesity genes.
“These findings represent another example of the power of large-scale genetic studies to improve our understanding of the biological basis of disease,” said study author John Perry. The genetic variants we identify in BSN confer some of the largest effects on obesity. , on type 2 diabetes and fatty liver observed to date and highlight a new biological mechanism that regulates appetite control.”
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