Researchers from the University of Utah could be on their way to achieving a medical breakthrough. After discovering an enzyme that plays a crucial role in developing metabolic syndrome, they believe their development of a drug can treat the condition that exacerbates chronic diseases.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increases one's risk for developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, affecting 25% of adults in the United States. The medical condition includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist, and high cholesterol levels. Someone who suffers from all of these is said to have metabolic syndrome.
The University of Utah researchers conducted their experiments on rats and mice in a laboratory setting. The enzyme they discovered, PASK, stimulates the overproduction of fatty acids and triglycerides. It chemically modifies other proteins and alters their functions, including SREPT-1c, which is the master regulator of all of the enzymes that produce fat. To test their findings, the researchers used a drug candidate that is being developed by BioEnergenix, a University of Utah spinoff company.
In preventing PASK from modifying SREBP-1c, the protein was unable to increase the production of enzymes that make fat. The researchers thus witnessed a drop in the levels of fatty acids and triglycerides in mouse and rat livers. However, they are unsure what causes the overproduction of fatty acids and triglycerides, which is the focus of their ongoing research.
"We hope that this is an example where science leads us not only to a better understanding of how the body works, but also to the discovery of approaches that we can use to treat human disease," said Jared Rutter, Ph.D. and lead researcher, in this EurekAlert! news release. "The approved drug therapies do not treat or prevent this condition [metabolic syndrome] in most people."
The researchers hope the development of their drug will reach human clinical trials within the next couple of years. They're confident that it will be able to reduce risk factors for metabolic syndrome, which will decrease one's likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes, or stroke. Additionally, the elimination of metabolic syndrome symptoms will promote a healthy lifestyle in general.
The study was published on Thursday in the journal Cell Reports. The newly launched University of Utah Diabetes and Metabolism Center (DMC) - part of the University of Utah Health Sciences strategic research initiative in 2014 - conducted the research. You can read more about the study in this university news release.