One variation in the brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) gene predisposes adults and children to obesity, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This change in the BDNF gene identified by the researchers was not a mutation; instead, it was a gene variation that generally occurs among the population.
"The BDNF gene has previously been linked to obesity, and scientists have been working for several years to understand how changes in this particular gene may predispose people to obesity," study author Dr. Jack A. Yanovski from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at NIH said in a news release.
The researchers said that the BDNF gene produces BDNF protein, which regulates appetite. After studying brain tissue samples, the researchers found out that a variation of the gene results in low production of the protein in the brain and stops people from feeling full, thus triggering obesity. The BDNF gene variation is reportedly more frequent among Hispanics and African-Americans.
The researchers studied the BDNF gene combinations, or alleles, of more than 31,000 men and women who participated in various clinical research studies. They also looked at the obesity characteristics, such as BMI and body fat percentage, in the study participants. The researchers found that the allele that produces less BDNF protein was linked with higher BMI and body fat percentage in African-American adults and higher BMI in Hispanic kids.
"This study explains how a single genetic change in BDNF influences obesity and may affect BDNF protein levels. Finding people with specific causes of obesity may allow us to evaluate effective, more personalized treatments," Yanovski said.
The study authors suggested that boosting BDNF protein levels could help avert obesity in people who are predisposed to it.
"If these findings are supported by additional studies, boosting BDNF levels may prove beneficial," lead study author Dr. Joan C. Han from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center said in the press release.
The report was published in the online Oct. 29 issue of the open access journal Cell Reports.
