Targeting Obesity—Einstein researchers led by Dr. Ian Willis and collaborators at the University of Lausanne recently identified MAF1 as a possible target for treating obesity. While it was previously known that MAF1 regulates the expression of highly abundant non-coding RNAs, such as tRNAs, the new findings published in the May issue of Genes and Development —reveal a connection between MAF1, metabolism and obesity. Using a whole-body Maf1 knockout mouse, Dr. Willis and colleagues found that, Maf1-deficient mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity and have an extended lifespan. The research showed that mice without MAF1 are metabolically inefficient they burn more calories to do the same metabolic functions as control mice leaving them with fewer extra calories to store as fat. The findings suggest that MAF1 may be a desirable drug target for treating obesity in humans. Dr. Willis is professor of biochemistry and of systems & computational biology.
Posted on: Wednesday, July 29, 2015