Boosting levels of good fats with an experimental drug that acts on two newly characterized genes

(Salk Institute) A team of scientists have identified two genes that can regulate levels of healthy fats, called FAHFAs, in mice. They found that the loss of the two genes led to higher-than-normal levels of the beneficial FAHFAs, while blocking the genes' activity with an experimental drug also increased FAHFA levels. Because FAHFAs decrease inflammation and increase insulin sensitivity, a better understanding of the activity of their regulatory genes may eventually lead to therapies for people...