Study: 4 genes drive metabolism
2008-11-28 10:47
London - Four genetic variations
appear to determine the speed at which people burn up food,
researchers said on Thursday, a finding that could one day see
doctors offer their patients more individual care.
Differences in metabolism can make some people more
susceptible to diseases such as diabetes and explain why
response to diet, exercise and drugs to treat certain conditions
varies from person to person.
Knowing right away how a person's body will break down
molecules in the blood that build up muscle and cells and
provide energy could lead to better care, said Karsten Suhre, a
researcher at the Helmholtz Centre in Munich.
The researchers scanned the genes of 284 people and found
four - FADS1, LIPC, SCAD and MCAD - linked to determining
metabolic rates.
Genetic make-up
"These genes appear to be involved or play a key role in
metabolism," Suhre said in a telephone interview.
This potentially paves the way for more personalised health
care in which doctors could use knowledge of a patient's
metabolism gleaned from their genetic make-up to determine
treatment, he said.
This could prove particularly useful for treating conditions
strongly linked to metabolism such as coronary artery disease
and obesity, he added.
"These findings could result in a step toward personalised
healthcare and nutrition based on a combination of genoytyping
and metabolic characterisation," Suhre and colleagues wrote in
the Public Library of Science Journal PLoS Genetics.