New drug prevents obesity even on high-fat diet

Mitochondria convert nutrients into energy. REPRESENTATION PIC

A new drug kept mice from becoming obese even after long-term exposure to a sugar-rich, fat-heavy diet.

The work points to magnesium movement inside mitochondria, the energy-producing structures found in cells.

When magnesium enters mitochondria through a gene called MRS2, it can slow the cell's ability to burn sugar and fat. Researchers removed the MRS2 gene in mice.

After 52 weeks of a fat-heavy diet, normal mice gained weight and developed signs of metabolic disease, while mice without MRS2 stayed lean.

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