Subscribe now

Health

CRISPR turns normal body fat into a type that burns energy

By Michael Le Page

23 October 2020

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Gene editing can transform normal fat cells into a type of fat that burns energy

Shutterstock / Design_Cells

Metabolic conditions linked to obesity could be treated by removing fat from a person, turning it into energy-burning “beige fat” using CRISPR gene editing and then implanting the altered fat back into the body, animal studies suggest.

“It would be a personalised therapy for metabolic disease,” says Silvia Corvera at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

While most fat merely stores energy, some types – known as brown and beige fat – burn glucose to produce heat. People have small…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop