Much to the surprise of cancer researchers, the protein they were investigating for its possible role in cancer treatment was found to be a potent regulator of metabolism.
A study conducted at Georgetown University showed that forced expression of this protein in a laboratory strain of obese mice led to a significant reduction in their fat mass, despite a genetic predisposition to eat large amounts of food.
Read in the estet-portal.com article about how the FGFBP3 protein (abbreviated as BP3) may open up a new therapy for the treatment of disorders associated with metabolic syndrome such as type 2 diabetes and fatty liver.
Regulation of metabolic processes by FGFBP3
Obesity, which affects more than 650 million people worldwide, is a major contributor to the metabolic syndrome, which includes disorders such as insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and elevated blood lipids.
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BP3 belongs to the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of binding proteins. FGFs are found in a variety of organisms and are involved in a wide range of biological processes such as regulation of cell growth, wound healing, and response to injury. Some FGFs act like hormones.
BP1, 2 and 3 are "chaperone" proteins that attach to FGF proteins and enhance their activity in the body. Wellstein has long studied the BP1 gene as its production is increased in cancers, indicating that the growth of some cancers is associated with excess production of FGF.
Researchers have found that this chaperone binds to three FGF proteins (19, 21 and 23) that are involved in metabolic control.
FGF19 and FGF 21 signaling regulates the storage and use of carbohydrates (sugar) and lipids (fats). FGF23 controls phosphate metabolism.
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Experimental confirmation of the effectiveness of the protein in metabolic syndrome
"We found that eight treatments of BP3 over 18 days were enough to reduce the amount of fat in mice by more than a third," says senior investigator, MD, PhD, professor of oncology and pharmacology at the Cancer Center Georgetown-Lombardi – Anton Wellstein.
How to prescribe hormones for obesity
The treatment also reduced obesity-related disorders in mice, such as hyperglycemia, an excess of blood sugar that is often associated with diabetes, – and eliminated fat in the liver. The researchers say that clinical and microscopic examination of the mice showed no side effects.
When metabolism increases, blood sugar and fats synthesized in the liver are used for energy and are not stored.
Prospective Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome
While the results of the study are exciting, more research is needed before the BP3 protein can be used to treat metabolic syndrome.
Because BP3 is a natural protein and not artificial, clinical trials of recombinant human BP3 may begin after the final round of preclinical studies.
You may be interested in the article on our website estet-portal.com in the section "Endocrinology" What endocrine disorders can cause obesity
Adapted from ScienceDaily
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