This Molecule Plays a Crucial Role Against Inflammation and Weight Gain in Obesity: New Study

The molecule "programmed death-ligand 1" (PDL-L1) can fight against weight gain in obesity and morbid obesity caused by comorbidities from obesity-related inflammation, according to a new study.

Scientists have discovered that PDL-L1 on dendritic cells can control inflammation and weight gain.

Obesity is a health condition wherein an animal or a human has excessive fat beyond the body's age, as well as its overall mass and size.

The condition has also become a challenge since it increases health risks and complications, especially in the heart and liver.

The basis of obesity on a person can be done from a formal medical diagnosis.

Other measurements to determine if a person is obese or not is through the usage of the body mass index (BMI), which calculates the body fat depending on the individual's height, weight, age, and gender.

Anti-Obesity Molecule

(Photo : Jeff J. Mitchell via Getty Images)

A new study on the relationship between a certain molecule and how it mitigates obesity was published in the Journal of Translational Medicine on Wednesday, March 9.

The study shows that the innate PD-L1 molecule controls inflammation and weight gain during diet-induced obesity.

The usage of PD-L1 on both humans and mice has shown that there is a positive correlation between the molecule and inflammation of tissues caused by obesity.

Furthermore, the study showed PD-L1 on dendritic cells decreases the risk of obesity and related inflammation in mice.

In addition, the study suggested that the molecule on dendritic cells may also counteract obesity-related tissue inflammation and eventually weight gain.

The findings of the study yield a potential basis that the said molecule can be enhanced or explored further in future studies.

According to the British Society for Immunology, dendritic cells are antigen-presenting cells that act as a messenger of the immune system.

The PD-L1 on dendritic cells may indicate that the latter is potentially recognizing the effects of obesity as also a threat to the immune system and the body.

Also Read: It's All in the Genes: Obesity Can Be Inherited From Parents

Health Risks

The World Health Organization (WHO) described obesity, as well as overweight, as an abnormal or excessive occurrence of fat accumulation in the body, causing serious health risks.

Over 4 million people who are either overweight or obese die every year at an epidemic level, as per the WHO.

The main determining factor in the categorization of an individual's weight is BMI. The WHO said a BMI of more than 30 is considered obese.

However, a BMI of more than 35 is already called morbid obesity. This causes further health risks due to the accumulation of fat in organs, especially in the heart and liver.

In addition, a BMI of more than 25 is within the overweight category.

Moreover, there are other bodyweight categorizations under the 25 BMI range.

A normal BMI or a person with a BMI between 18.5 to 24.9 falls under the normal weight category.

Furthermore, anything below a BMI of 18.5 is considered underweight, which also poses health risks due to the lack of required nutrients and energy for the body to function.

Based on 2021 WHO fact sheet report, obesity has tripled worldwide since 1975; 650 million adults aged 18 years and above are obese and over 1.9 billion adults are overweight since 2016.

Previous research has shown commercialization is one of the key factors for obesity, especially in industrialized countries.