The protein called SETDB2 is increased during times of fasting and alters the genome to help turn on genes needed to adjust to the absence of food.

‘Inhibiting the gene SETDB2 could lessen certain metabolic side effects such as weight gain and insulin resistance in patients taking steroids for inflammatory disease
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Glucocorticoids 




Glucocorticoids are steroids secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress signals from the brain. They help maintain normal concentrations of glucose in the blood and reduce inflammation, which can be beneficial in treating chronic autoimmune diseases and allergies.
"Synthetic glucocorticoids, such as prednisone, dexamethasone and hydrocortisone have been prescribed for decades to stop inflammation. However, there are major side effects associated with steroid treatment, including immunosuppression that leaves a patient vulnerable to infection, and the exacerbation of metabolic diseases," added Osborne.
The Yin and Yang of Metabolism
The new study, led by Manuel Roqueta-Rivera, a postdoctoral researcher in Osborne's lab, sought to find the mechanism that the liver uses to transition between the fed and fasted states--two extreme metabolic conditions that require genes to switch "on and off" to promote either energy storage or energy use.
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Restoring Metabolic Equilibrium
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"Modulating SETDB2 activity might also benefit patients with other metabolic conditions, but it's not clear yet whether it would be better to inhibit the enzyme or activate it. Blocking SETDB2 would likely lower blood glucose, which would be beneficial, but it might also enhance fat storage in the liver, which is damaging."
"Future therapies targeting SETDB2 likely wouldn't be one-size-fits-all," commented Osborne. "Metabolic disease is complex -- its presentation varies widely -- so if these drugs are developed, they could be targeted to specific patients." The study is published in Cell Metabolism.
Source-Eurekalert