Conference rocks::weight_control

339.0. "Adipsin, and the fat thermostat (or setpoint)" by ANT::ZARLENGA (it takes 2 to make it outta sight) Tue Aug 02 1988 23:17

    	Two Boston researchers from Harvard have identified an enzyme
    called adipsin as the most likely candidate to be the 'signalling
    molecule' responsible for control of the 'fat thermostat', or
    'setpoint'.
    
    	Molecular pharamcologist Bruce Speigelman and associate professor
    of medicine Jeffrey Flier are the researchers credited with this
    discovery.
    
    	Studies show that animals with normal levels of adipsin maintain
    their normal weight.  However, animals who test low for this enzyme
    grow fat on the same number of calories.  They believe that the
    body's natural level of adipsin may be genetically programmed. If
    they are right, it will be possible to identify people who are
    'genetically obese', and head the problem off in its early stages.
    
    	Adipsin belongs to the family of enzymes known as serine proteases.
    Some serine proteases are known to regulate certain body processes.
    Adipsin seems to be produced in fat tissue, so its nature as a fat
    regulator makes sense - more fat, more adipsin.
    
    	The next step is to give adipsin to obese mice to see if it
    helps them get thinner.  The enzyme has already been cloned by the
    Boston researchers, so if rodent therapy is successful, human trials
    may be the next step.

    -mike z