(image: Korea Bizwire)
DAEJEON, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A joint research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital confirmed that diabetes and fatty liver disease can be cured by suppressing the transmission of the serotonin signal in fat tissue.
Serotonin, often called the ‘happy hormone,’ refers to a brain neurotransmitter that regulates mood and emotion.
In peripheral tissues, serotonin plays the role of adjusting energy metabolism in situations like diabetes and obesity. Transmission of serotonin signals in the liver tissue is known to promote fat synthesis.
The research team found that if the serotonin 2B receptor’s signal transmission is suppressed, it reduces inflammation response in fat tissue, while repressing fatty liver disease, resulting in an improvement of the metabolism index.
According to research on human fat tissue and lab experiments with rats, the serotonin 2B receptor marks a specific increase in visceral fats.
“This study will contribute to developing new diabetes and fatty liver disease medications targeting the suppression of serotonin signals,” said Kim Hail, a professor at the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering at KAIST who led the research.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
