Gene therapy that converts omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids in the body could combat the effects of childhood obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 20% of children and adolescents are considered obese. Research shows that it can have a significant impact on a variety of health problems, including arthritis, heart disease and other metabolic problems, and the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends early and intensive treatment to combat obesity.

Over the past four years, researchers at Shriners Hospitals for Children in St. Louis have worked to develop a new way to prevent the effects of childhood obesity.

Using gene therapy, St. Louis Shriners Hospital Research Director Dr. Farshid Guilak and Principal Scientist Dr. Ruhang Tang discovered a revolutionary new way to convert harmful fatty acids into fatty acids. beneficial fats, allowing children struggling with obesity to reduce the risk of other health problems, particularly arthritis. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“We have learned that the biggest preventable risk factor for arthritis in children is being overweight,” Dr. Guilak said.

“Our typical response is to simply tell children to lose weight, without addressing the larger problem. Childhood obesity has become an epidemic and, as a result, arthritis is becoming more and more common in children.

“One of our main findings is that it is not just obesity itself that is harmful, but also diet. The types of fatty acids that children consume play an important role in a child’s weight And once children become obese, it opens the door to other significant health problems that can be difficult to reverse.

Dr Tang said their gene therapy technique involves using an inactive virus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), to introduce the gene for a specific enzyme into cells. The new gene therapy automatically converts highly inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids into omega-3 fatty acids, which are better for the body’s metabolic health.

Dr Guilak said omega-6 acids, which come from fatty foods and vegetable oils like fried foods, tend to promote inflammation and can lead to health problems such as arthritis, disease heart and metabolic problems.

Omega-3s, found in fish and some nuts, may support a healthier metabolic profile by improving insulin sensitivity, promoting fat metabolism, and reducing inflammation and disease risk linked to obesity.

Dr Natalia Harasymowicz, co-leader of the study, said their gene therapy was also able to reduce the number of pro-inflammatory cells that play a crucial role in promoting inflammation and arthritis linked to obesity.

In this study, researchers looked at a very common type of arthritis in children, called “post-traumatic arthritis,” caused by a knee injury such as a tear in the meniscus tissue that serves as a stabilizer and cushion for the knee. knee. .

The team found that a gene therapy injection significantly reduced the effects of a diet high in fat and omega-6 on overall metabolic health and knee arthritis. Of particular interest was the finding that diet-induced obesity led to premature “aging” in these mice, which was prevented by gene therapy.

“What we see is that obesity leads to aged knees in younger patients,” Dr. Guilak said.

“Modern diets, particularly in the United States, tend to be high in omega-6 and low in omega-3, which can lead to an imbalance, especially in children. The gene therapy we have developed will automatically convert omega-6 into omega. -3 fatty acids in your body, effectively transforming bad fats into good fats.

“Arthritis can be a very painful and debilitating disease for children, so we hope this research will help reduce the risk of its development and make treatments more effective. The implications for how this research could be used in the future are vast, but we are excited about the potential to help children lead healthier lives.

Dr. Guilak is also the Mildred B. Simon Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and co-director of the Washington University Center for Regenerative Medicine. His team is working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move into clinical trials over the next three to five years.

Provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children