Scientists discover a hidden switch that burns fat and blocks new fat cells — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- MTCH2 protein, nicknamed Mitch, regulates how human cells use energy, and disabling it shifts cells to burn more fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids for fuel
- Weizmann Institute of Science researchers found that deleting Mitch in human cells fragments mitochondrial networks, increasing cellular respiration and creating a persistent energy deficit that drives higher nutrient consumption
- Mitch deletion in precursor fat cells reduced fat cell differentiation from 80–90% to just 5–10% over six days, blocking the synthesis of new fat and lipid droplet accumulation
- Mice with Mitch switched off in muscle tissue showed increased endurance, improved heart function, and resistance to diet-induced obesity due to higher energy expenditure
- Atan Gross and team identified Mitch as a key regulator of mitochondrial fusion, revealing its role in determining whether fats are stored in membranes or broken down for energy
- Sabita Chourasia led experiments showing that Mitch loss alters metabolic flux, increasing oxygen consumption and shifting fat metabolism toward energy production rather than storage
Why it matters: Obesity treatments like semaglutide often reduce lean mass by 25–39%, but targeting Mitch could selectively reduce fat while preserving muscle, offering a new metabolic strategy that addresses a key limitation in current weight-loss therapies.
Ask SkimNews
