Weight loss unlocked? Discovery of gene mutation could help control appetite and lower obesity, researchers say

A genetic mutation present in 4 per cent of people has been found to affect how our brains regulate appetite. A study found mice with the variant weighed less

A researcher says the variant may explain why some of us tend to gain less weight, and that understanding it could lead to targeted weight-loss therapies

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A study of a genetic mutation shows it helps regulate appetite. Once researchers understand how it does this, it could lead to the development of new targeted weight-loss therapies to reduce obesity. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:45pm, 27 Nov 2023

A gene variant that helps regulate body weight could aid in tackling obesity, researchers studying it say.

The ZFHX3 gene mutation – thought to exist in just 4 per cent of people – has been found to control parts of the brain responsible for appetite.

Scientists at Nottingham Trent University and the MRC Harwell institute, both in the United Kingdom, have uncovered the mechanism which, in mice, allows the mutated gene to play a key role in regulating appetite, weight and the insulin hormone – which helps keep blood sugar under control and prevents diabetes complications.

The team found that it can affect a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus – which controls appetite, food intake, hunger and thirst – by switching on and off the function of other genes there.

The ZFHX3 gene mutation is thought to occur in 4 per cent of people, and researchers think it is likely to contribute to a natural ability to stick to diets and eat less. Photo: Shutterstock

The researchers say understanding this pathway, which has been reported in The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, could pave the way for new targeted weight-loss therapies.