14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists at Vetmeduni Vienna Unit of Physiology and Biophysics announce the discovery of a protein that plays a critical role in the burning of fat in the human body. This finding could set the stage for the development of new therapies against obesity and excessive weight.
The investigation was led by biophysicist Elena Pohl, who believes that further work in this area could help researchers discover a way of regulating this molecule so that it burns fat faster and more efficiently. In real life, this would translate into a faster fat metabolism, and less weight.
The uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) is important because it may help address a significant public health problem that is endemic to the Western world. In the United States alone, it is estimated that 65 percent of adults are overweight, while 33 percent of them are obese, EurekAlert reports.
“If we can find out how to regulate this protein, we might also find a way to trigger fat burning in the body,” says Pohl. Details of the study and the UCP1 protein appear in a paper published in a recent issue of the open-access scientific journal PLoS One.