Childhood Obesity News has been looking at various types of treatment for childhood obesity, including GLP-1 agonists, digital technology, and behavioral interventions. Now, let’s take a quick look at yet another promising treatment — gene therapy.
For the past four years, researchers at Shriners Children’s St. Louis have been exploring new methods to combat the impacts of childhood obesity. Led by Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., and Ruhang Tang, Ph.D., the research team has developed a promising approach using gene therapy. Their studies in mice have shown that this therapy can convert harmful fatty acids into beneficial ones, which may help children with obesity lower their risk of associated health problems, particularly arthritis.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, details a gene therapy technique called “fat-1 gene therapy,” which prevents metabolic dysfunction, cellular aging, and arthritis linked to obesity.
According to Dr. Guilak, excess weight is the top preventable risk factor for arthritis in children. The team’s findings highlight that it’s not only obesity itself but also the diet that contributes to arthritis risks. Specifically, the type of fatty acids children consume significantly affects their weight and health.
Dr. Tang explained that gene therapy involves using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to introduce a gene coding for an enzyme into cells. This enzyme automatically transforms pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acids into Omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthier for metabolism. Omega-3s — found in foods like fish and certain nuts — enhance metabolic health by improving insulin sensitivity, promoting fat breakdown, and reducing inflammation, potentially lowering the risk of diseases related to obesity. Natalia Harasymowicz, Ph.D., another study leader, noted that the therapy also reduces the number of inflammatory cells involved in obesity and arthritis.
The study specifically examined post-traumatic arthritis, a form common among children due to injuries such as knee meniscus tears. A single gene therapy injection was shown to significantly reduce the negative effects of a high-fat, Omega-6-heavy diet on both metabolic health and knee arthritis. The therapy also appeared to prevent early “aging” in the mice caused by diet-induced obesity.
Dr. Guilak said:
What we are observing is that obesity results in old knees in young patients… The modern diet, especially in the United States, tends to be high in Omega-6s and low in Omega-3s, which can lead to an imbalance, especially for kids… Arthritis can be a very painful and debilitating condition for children so we’re hopeful that this research will help reduce the risk of it developing and make treatments more effective. The implications for how this research might be used in the future are vast but we’re excited about the potential for it to help kids lead healthier lives.
The research team, led by Dr. Guilak, is now collaborating with the FDA, aiming to start clinical trials within the next three to five years.
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Source: “Gene Therapy Method Converts Omega Fatty Acids to Combat Childhood Obesity,” Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, 10/14/24
Source: “Gene therapy for fat-1 prevents obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction, cellular senescence, and osteoarthritis,” PNAS.com, 10/14/24
Image by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
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