Singapore: A research team led by scientists from National University of Singapore (NUS) has identified several potent inhibitors that selectively target FTO, the common fat mass and obesity-associated gene.

The FTO-specific inhibitors pave the way for the development of novel anti-obesity drugs and treatments. Individuals who are genetically predisposed to obesity may soon have a therapeutic solution to combat their condition.

The research, led by assistant professor Esther Woon from the Department of Pharmacy at the NUS Faculty of Science, along with colleagues from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), as well as the Nanyang Technological University, is the first to look at potential treatment for obesity from a genetic perspective.

Among the genetic influences, the FTO gene is one that is strongly linked to obesity, with genome-wide studies showing that people with certain variations of the FTO gene are 70 percent more likely to become obese.