Researchers at Shriners Children's St. Louis have discovered a groundbreaking way to convert harmful fatty acids into beneficial ones, creating a new means for children battling obesity to lower their health risks.
According to the CDC, nearly 20% of teens and children are obese and research shows that childhood obesity can have drastic impacts on several health conditions including arthritis, metabolic issues, and heart conditions.
"We've learned that the number one preventable risk factor for arthritis in children is being overweight," said Shriners Children's St. Louis Director of Research Dr. Farshid Guilak. "One of our key findings is that it's not just the obesity itself that's harmful, but also the diet. The types of fatty acids children consume play a significant role in a child's weight gain. And once children are obese, it opens the door for other significant health problems that can be hard to reverse."
The technique, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, relies on using an inactive adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a gene therapy into cells. The newly developed gene therapy converts highly inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids into omega-3 fatty acids which are better for metabolic health.
In their study, the researchers discovered that only one injection of the gene therapy could significantly reduce the negative effects of an omega-6-rich diet. Additionally, the team discovered that diet-induced obesity led to premature aging and could be prevented with the new gene therapy.
"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," added Guilak. "The gene therapy we developed will automatically convert omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in your body, effectively turning bad fats into good fats.
"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."