Gene Discovery May Unlock Key to Obesity Syndrome

Scientists in the United States, Great Britain, and Canada were able to identify the last of 8 genes known to contribute to Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), a rare disorder that combines the common problems of obesity, learning difficulties, diabetes, and asthma. The researchers think that the gene, known as BBS3/ARL6, can be used to understand the other BBS proteins and what causes BBS and, by extension, obesity and other BBS-related problems.