{"id":3786,"date":"2022-02-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=3786"},"modified":"2022-02-10T06:57:18","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T06:57:18","slug":"hydrogels-may-be-our-next-best-bet-against-obesity-with-a-little-help-from-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/hydrogels-may-be-our-next-best-bet-against-obesity-with-a-little-help-from-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogels May Be Our Next Best Bet Against Obesity (With a Little Help From Light)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to the World Health Organization<\/a>, some 1.9 billion adults aged 18 and above were classified as overweight back in 2016, with 650 million of those being considered obese. This meant that about 13% of all humans alive on Earth at the time possessed a body mass index (BMI) that was greater than or equal to 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, the old saying that \u201ctoo much of anything is bad\u201d undoubtedly applies to obesity and body fat. The condition can spring forth due to a person\u2019s lifestyle, circumstances, or even noncontrollable factors such as metabolic activity. Thus, while preventable, not all solutions to the problem may be equally applicable to all patients who suffer from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some 39% of all adults aged 18 years old and above were considered overweight back in 2016. (Polekhina, 2021)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University<\/a> saw an opportunity to devise a solution and figure out something truly unique, however: their novel method, published in the journal ACS Nano<\/em><\/a>, involves injecting hydrogels<\/em> into a patient\u2019s desired area. In turn, the hydrogels activate the TRPV1 protein via near-infrared light to kickstart metabolic processes, reducing fat in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to do so, the team crafted specially-made hydrogels containing copper sulfide (CuS) nanodots<\/em>. These nanoparticles activate the TRPV1 protein inside the site where they were injected after being exposed to near-infrared light, followed by the dispersion of a drug also locked within that stimulates the conversion of unwanted fats into brown adipose tissue<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Weight reduction is key to addressing some of the issues brought about by obesity; however, not all individuals respond to treatments the same way, hence the need for methods like those of Peng and co-authors that instead rely on chemical processes. (NeONBRAND, 2021)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

TRPV1 is known to play a role in breaking down fat into fatty acids\u2014acids that are then able to be consumed by brown adipose tissue via the burning of calories or through a process called lipolysis<\/em>, among other means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall hydrogel is delivered with a biocompatible polymer that keeps the hydrogel in a \u201cgel-like state\u201d after injection, according to New Atlas<\/em><\/a>. This allows the hydrogel contents to be released safely into the body over a period of several days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research team, which included principal author Chen Peng, tested their technology on obese mice models with metabolic diseases by injecting their hydrogel technology into the mice’s\u2019 subcutaneous fat. From there, near-infrared light was shone onto the injection site for five minutes. This was done every day for three (3) consecutive days out of seven (7) in a week, for two weeks straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since the day they were first created in a laboratory, hydrogels have given scientists new avenues to explore due to its unique set of properties and potential functions. This paper by Peng and team serve as one of the many research teams tackling this unique type of material. (Klawikowski, 2016)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the end, the mice lost about 5.5% of their body weight coupled with a 40% reduction in subcutaneous fat and a 54% reduction in cholesterol, among others. These results were also compared to a 9.5% increase in body weight as observed from a control group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peng discusses their findings in the institution\u2019s press release<\/a>: \u201c[…] We found that this approach not only resulted in 40-54% fat reduction in obese mice but also significantly improved their metabolism, which is key to reducing the risk of metabolic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Though this method makes use of heat converted from near-infrared light to burn subcutaneous fat, we found no thermal injury to the skin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peng continued: “All FDA-approved medications for obesity indirectly act on the brain to suppress appetite or on the digestive system to reduce fat absorption. Most of them have been withdrawn from the market due to their serious side effects. Procedures performed in clinics to remove fat in targeted areas have shown to be effective, but they come with risks and high costs and do not improve body metabolism. In contrast, our therapeutic approach focuses on remodeling white fat tissue […].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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