News Releases & Research Results Discovery of a new metabolic enzyme that mobilizes health-beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and suppresses obesity

The results of collaborative research conducted by Professor Makoto Murakami of The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine along with others.

• The research group discovered that a lipolytic enzyme constitutively secreted by M2-type macrophages in the white adipose tissue (WAT) supplies omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are abundant in fish oil, thereby accelerating the burning of fat and slowing down the progression of obesity.
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• The results of research should facilitate the development of novel preventive and therapeutic methods to treat lifestyle diseases including obesity and diabetes.

This research project was conducted with the support of the Advanced Research and Development Programs for Medical Innovation (AMED-CREST) by AMED.

The results of research were published online in Cell Reports, an American scientific journal, on May 6.

Sato H., et al. Secreted phospholipase PLA2G2D contributes to metabolic health by mobilizing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in white adipose tissue Cell Reports
DOI：10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107579