WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- American scientists discovered a group of cells in the small intestine that slow down metabolism and increase fat accumulation.
The study published on Wenesday in the journal Nature may lend a clue to prevent and treat obesity, diabetes and hypertension.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital found that mice lacking those cells called intraepithelial T lymphocytes or natural IELs could burn fat and sugar without gaining weight.
When those cells are present, they suppress a hormone that speed up metabolism and conserve more energy it gets from food.
Such a mechanism used to be an evolutionary advantage when food was scarce in ancient time, but "0with the food so abundant, this energy-saving mechanism can backfire and lead to unhealthy outcomes," said the paper's lead researcher Filip Swirski from Massachusetts General Hospital.
Swirski's study can eventually contribute to cardiovascular disease and other metabolic ailments, if the researchers identify it a therapeutic targeting in humans.
