DNA-PK inhibitor
Muscle Enzyme Explains Weight Gain in Middle Age
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins

Thinkstock/tetmc
The struggle to maintain a healthy weight is a lifelong challenge for many of us. In fact, the average American packs on an extra 30 pounds from early adulthood to age 50. What’s responsible for this tendency toward middle-age spread? For most of us, too many calories and too little exercise definitely play a role. But now comes word that another reason may lie in a strong—and previously unknown—biochemical mechanism related to the normal aging process.
An NIH-led team recently discovered that the normal process of aging causes levels of an enzyme called DNA-PK to rise in animals as they approach middle age. While the enzyme is known for its role in DNA repair, their studies show it also slows down metabolism, making it more difficult to burn fat. To see if reducing DNA-PK levels might rev up the metabolism, the researchers turned to middle-aged mice. They found that a drug-like compound that blocked DNA-PK activity cut weight gain in the mice by a whopping 40 percent!
Share this:
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
- Click to print (Opens in new window)
Tags: aging, aging process, biochemistry, diabetes, diet, DNA repair, DNA-PK, DNA-PK inhibitor, fat, healthy weight, lymphocytes, metabolism, middle age, mitochondria, muscle, obesity, overweight, physical fitness, SCID, severe combined immunodeficiency, skeletal muscle, weight gain, weight loss, weight loss medication