A description of two science news about proteins implicated in diseases with a very important impact.

1. PROTEINS
Laura Betancur Gómez

2. Medical Utility
• Decrease prevalence of obesity in
the world and prevent consequences
as peripheral artery disease, stroke,
myocardial infarct, arthrosis, gout,
diabetes mellitus type 2,
hypertension, cancer, chronic kidney
disease, etc.
• Find new therapeutic targets for
obesity and diabetes.
PROTEINS
By Laura Betancur Gomez
Molecular biology teacher Lina
Martinez Sanchez.
Bibliography
R.Cross. Cancer-induced anorexia
inspires potentially powerful antiobesity
drug.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017
/08/cancer-induced-anorexia-inspires-
potentially-powerful-antiobesity-drug.
August 30, 2017.
Cunningham A. Spread of misfolded
proteins could trigger type 2 diabetes.
ScienceNews.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sp
read-misfolded-proteins-could-trigger-
type-2-diabetes. August , 2017.

3. Introduction
Obesity is one of the main cause of
morbility in the world, it is also one of
the first causes of death. Different
proteins related to weight loss have been
studied, in this case GDF 15 was involved
in anorexia of patients with cancer and
used as a new treatment for patients
with obesity.
Type 2 diabetes , other of the main
morbilities in the world, can possibly be
transmitted through misfolded proteins
and open the door to new investigations
on this idea.
GDF 15 related to weight loss
in cancer
Researchers has discovered growth
differentiation factor 15 (GDF 15), a
protein implicated in tumor induced
anorexia. Levels of this protein increase
10 to 100 times in mice and humans with
prostate cancer.
Current medications for weight
management in patients with obesity
loss 5 to 8% of their weight, those drugs
do not have the same level of specificity
as GDF 15.
Misfolded proteins could
trigger type 2 diabetes
Apart from insulin, beta cells in the
pancreas can produce Islet Amyloid
Polypeptide (IAPP). This protein can
clump together and damage cells.
Patients with diabetes type 2 accumulate
misfolded IAPP in the pancreas and this
could be implicated in the death of beta
cells.
Misfolded IAPP can trigger this clumpling
in human heathy cells.

4. Introduction
Introduction
Obesity is one of the main cause of morbility
in the world, it is also one of the first causes of
death. Different proteins related to weight
loss have been studied, in this case GDF 15
was involved in anorexia of patients with
cancer and used as a new treatment for
patients with obesity.
Obesity is actually one of the major public
heath problems in the world. The
prevalence of obesity in United States is
63%, and in our country , in 2010
prevalence was about 51,2%.
Is influenced by :
• Genetic
• Metabolic
• Ethnics obesity
• Cultural
• Ambient
This morbility is associated with:
Cardiovascular
risk
Lung diseases
Osteoarticular Cancer
Introduction
Obesity is one of the main cause of
morbility in the world, it is also one of
the first causes of death. Different
proteins related to weight loss have been
studied, in this case GDF 15 was involved
in anorexia of patients with cancer and
used as a new treatment for patients
with obesity.
Type 2 diabetes , other of the main
morbilies in the world, can possibly be
transmitted through misfolded proteins
and open the door to new investigations
on this idea.

5. Growth differentiation factor 15
GDF15 is a protein of transforming growth factor beta
superfamily and regulate inflammatory and apoptotic pathways
in injured tissues.
Researchers have found this protein in mice and patients with
prostate cancer and has been related with tumor induced
anorexia.
GDF 15 related to weight loss in
cancer
Researchers has discovered growth
differentiation factor 15 (GDF 15), a
protein implicated in tumor induced
anorexia. Levels of this protein
increase 10 to 100 times in mice and
humans with prostate cancer.
Current medications for weight
management in patients with
obesity loss 5 to 8% of their weight,
those drugs do not have the same
level of specificity as GDF 15

6. GDF 15 mechanism
of action
GDF 15 bind to this receptor, GFRAL (GDNF
family receptor alpha-like). That receptor is
located in two specific brain regions: The area
postrema and the nucleus of the solitary tract.
GDF 15 GFRAL
Area
postre/Nucleus
of the solitary
tract
Appetite
regulation

7. GDF 15 effects
Because area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract are
regions outside blood-brain barrier, there is no problem for a
drug development and are good drug targets.
Researchers seen that administration of GDF 15 in mice,
reduced their food intake and the weigh.

8. And the side
effects?
Because GDF15 receptor (GFRAL) is highly
localized in this two brain regions, and GDF15
is selective to GFRAL, they didn´t see side
effects and the probability of presenting them
is low.

9. Personal opinion
I think that a new therapeutical target for
obesity treatment is very important for
several reasons, among which the most
important is the impact in the decrease of
cardiovascular disease and the other
deseases associated to obesity.

10. Spread of misfolded proteins
could trigger type 2 diabetes
A. MUKHERJEE ET AL/J. EXPER. MEDICINE 2017
Misfolded proteins could trigger
type 2 diabetes
Apart from insulin, beta cells in the
pancreas can produce Islet Amyloid
Polypeptide (IAPP). This protein can
clump together and damage cells.
Patients with diabetes type 2 accumulate
misfolded IAPP in the pancreas and this
could be implicated in the death of beta
cells.
Misfolded IAPP can trigger this clumpling
in human heathy cells.

11. Islet Amyloid
Polypeptide
(IAPP)
Apart from insulin, beta cells in the pancreas can produce Islet
Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP). This protein can clump together
and damage cells.
Patients with diabetes type 2 accumulate misfolded IAPP in
the pancreas and this could be implicated in the death of beta
cells.
These deposits can also be seen in diseases like Alzheimer and
prion disorders like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

12. Research
hypothesis
IAPP misfolds like a prion protein, so the
hypothesis was if type 2 diabetes could be
transmitted between cells or between persons.

13. Disease
transmission”
The investigators induce production of human IAPP
version in mice pancreas .
Pancreatic cells containing clumps of misfolded
IAPP were mixed with human healthy pancreatic
cells, and they saw that clumping of IAPP in human.
cells was triggered.
Cells
with
misfold
ed IAPP
Healthy
pancrea
tic cells
Beta
dell
death

14. Personal opinion
It is awesome to see how a disease considered
as not transmissible, now is considerate as
one.
It is also incredible the new therapeutical
target discovered for the control of diabetes.

15. The discovery of GDF15 open the door to new
research and establish this protein as a new
therapeutic arsenal.
Medical Utility

16. Just as GFRAL may be a therapeutic target for
treatment of diabetes, it may be for the control
of weigh loss seen in patients with cancer.
Medical Utility

17. The implication of IAPP misfolded clumps in
type 2 diabetes, opened the idea of therapies
that can prevent this clumps of proteins.
Medical Utility

18. The discovery of the possible transmission
of type 2 diabetes, raises the possibility of
transmission through blood components
transfusions.
Medical Utility

19. Bibliography
• R.Cross. Cancer-induced anorexia inspires potentially powerful
antiobesity drug. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/08/cancer-
induced-anorexia-inspires-potentially-powerful-antiobesity-drug.
August 30, 2017.
• Cunningham A. Spread of misfolded proteins could trigger type 2
diabetes. ScienceNews. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/spread-
misfolded-proteins-could-trigger-type-2-diabetes. August , 2017.