Obesity can cause a variety of health complications in affected individuals. Several lines of evidence support an association between chronic inflammation in adipose tissue and obesity complications. In mice, inhibition of a molecule known as SHIP1 reduces immune system activation. However, SHIP1 inhibition has not been explored in the context of obesity. A new study led by William Kerr of SUNY Upstate Medical University in JCI Insight shows that pharmacological inhibition of SHIP1 improves metabolic phenotypes in mice. In animals fed a high-fat diet, SHIP1 inhibition prevented excess weight gain and improved blood sugar control. These beneficial effects of SHIP1 inhibition were the result of reduced inflammation in adipose tissue and an increase in cells types that suppress the immune system. Together, these results indicate that SHIP1 inhibition should be further explored for control of obesity and diet-related metabolic dysfunction.
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TITLE:
SHIPi reverses age and diet associated obesity and metabolic syndrome
AUTHOR CONTACT:
William Kerr
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Email: kerrw@upstate.edu
View this article at: http://insight.jci.org/articles/view/88544?key=4eff0dff96cf8516c62b
JCI Insight is the newest publication from the American Society of Clinical Investigation, a nonprofit honor organization of physician-scientists. JCI Insight is dedicated to publishing a range of translational biomedical research with an emphasis on rigorous experimental methods and data reporting. All articles published in JCI Insight are freely available at the time of publication. For more information about JCI Insight and all of the latest articles go to http://www.insight.jci.org.
Journal
JCI Insight