Scientists believe they may have found a way to tackle obesity after discovering a rare gene mutation that helps regulate appetite. Only four per cent of people are thought to be carrying the ZFHX3 gene mutation, which has been found to affect a structure deep in the brain known as the hypothalamus, often seen as a control centre for things like appetite, thirst, and food intake. The ZFHX3 mutation works by turning the function of other genes on and off.
Studying its effects on mice, a group of scientists at Nottingham Trent University and MRC Harwell monitored the food intake in mice with the ZFHX3 gene mutation present, as well as a control group of mice without the gene variation. Those with the mutation consumed 12 per cent less food and weighed around 20 per cent less than those without. These mice also recorded lower levels of insulin, which researchers say suggested they had healthier blood sugar regulation, with a lowered risk of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Dr Rebecca Dumbell, a researcher in Nottingham Trent University's School of Science and Technology , said: "For the first time, we have demonstrated a role for this gene to alter growth and energy balance with a protein altering mutation similar to a variant found at low frequency in the human population. “There's a big genetic component related to our appetite and growth but it's not fully understood. It's likely one of the many different mutations that make people different in .
