Washington, October 12 : Scientists have found that an enzyme called TPPII may contribute to obesity by stimulating the formation of fat cells.

Writing about their findings in EMBO, Jonathan Graff and his colleagues revealed that TPPII has been shown to make people feel hungry in previous studies.

In the new study, it has been found that the enzyme may be even more deeply involved in causing obesity.

According to the researchers, TPPII stimulates the formation of fat cells in worms and mammalian cells. They say that fat stores decrease when fat cells are reduced.

The researchers have revealed that during the study, mice with lower levels of TPPII were found to be thinner than their wild type littermates, although their food intake was comparable.

They believe that TPPII could be exploited as a drug target to help fight increasing levels of obesity.

The study’s authors say that inhibiting the enzyme would both increase feelings of fullness after eating, and decrease the build-up of fat cells. (ANI)