Ah, every fourth summer, when the world's eyes turn
to the Olympics! Pick your physique of choice: Would
you like to look like the track stars? The divers?
The triathletes? The cyclists? The rowers? Unfortunately,
this takes work – or, in the case of some athletes,
performance-enhancing drugs.
But how about genetic engineering?
According to a study published in the
Public Library of Science Biology, researchers
have created a "Marathon Mouse" through genetic manipulation.
Authors of the study
Regulation of Muscle Fiber Type and Running Endurance
by PPARδ, genetically engineered
mice to express an activated form of the nuclear receptor
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ
(PPARδ) – which is a major regulator of
fat burning – in skeletal muscle.
The results? The above-mentioned Marathon Mouse could
run for longer and further than normal mice and could
dine on high-fat foods without becoming fat.
So if this research can move from mouse to (wo)man,
anyone offering their body up for science should probably
keep it to themselves and enjoy their new buff bod
(and their lower risk of weight-related conditions,
such as diabetes) lest they hear, following their moment
of glory as their national anthem rings out: "Congratulations
on your gold medal! Unfortunately, I'm going to have
to ask you to step over to the testing center: drop
your genes and give us a sample!"
Choose your career:
MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board.
Our job directory has 17,514 jobs with 2,480 hospitals
and other direct employers.
We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need
Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com
or sign up now.
Article published on Aug 27
04 12:59AM.
