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March 6th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) — New research offers
potential insight into the connection between cancer, obesity and
longevity in humans by showing that genetically modified mice live longer,
skinnier and almost cancer-free lives.
There are quite a few differences between mice and humans, especially
in regard to the type of fat that’s apparently affected by the genetic
tweak, so there’s no way to know if the research could lead to benefits in
humans. Even if medications based on the research are developed, no one
knows what the side effects in people might be or their eventual cost.
Still, a potential drug “could have two benefits: adding some extra
protection against cancer and protecting us from overeating,” said Manuel
Serrano, senior group leader at the Spanish National Cancer Research
Center in Madrid and co-author of a study appearing in the March issue of
Cell Metabolism.
At issue is a gene called Pten that boosts the body’s cancer-fighting
powers. Mutations in the gene can contribute to the development of cancer.
The researchers genetically engineered mice to have extra copies of the
gene. The mice didn’t suffer from side effects, Serrano said, and they
managed to live 15 percent longer than other mice and suffer from less
cancer.
He acknowledged, however, that figuring out a mouse’s cause of death
can be a challenge.
Mice that ate a high-fat diet also managed to be leaner, suggesting
that the genetic tweak affected their ability to gain weight even when
they would normally be packing on the extra ounces.
Serrano said the key seems to be the tweak’s effect on something known
as brown fat.
Both mice and humans have brown fat, but it’s better understood in
mice, he noted. In mice, it appears to burn regular “white fat” and be
activated when it’s cold or when the mice eat too much, Serrano said.
“Brown fat is very abundant and active in mice, but in humans it is
scarce,” Serrano explained. “At present, it is not known whether pushing
the brown fat in humans will have a significant effect in fat
burning.”
Serrano said drugs are now in development that tinker with the gene in
an effort to fight cancer.
Dr. Aaron Cypess, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who
studies obesity, said the research appears to be valid and useful.
“There’s a connection being made between tumor-suppressing genes, which
prevent cancers from growing, and energy expenditure — consuming
calories,” he said. “We know that obesity can lead to cancer in humans.
This makes the arrow go the other direction. What it’s saying is that no
cancer leads to no obesity.”
There’s a big caveat, however. “While the mouse is a very useful model
to understand humans, there are a lot of differences between mice and
men,” Cypess said. “Practically speaking, just because something happens
in a mouse model doesn’t mean it’s going to happen in a human. We are very
different.”
In a related study in the journal, researchers at the University of
California, Irvine, found that blocking production of a marijuana-like
compound in the brain boosted mice’s metabolism of brown fat. These mice
were able to eat more and move less than typical mice, without gaining
weight or developing symptoms that can raise the risk of diabetes and
heart disease.
More information
For more about obesity, visit the U.S. National Library of
Medicine.
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