http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3971103.stm

And while we are on the topic of mice and genes - this story in from Australia today :


Mice hot to tackle obesity crisis
14:00 AEST Tue Nov 2 2004

Scientists in Sydney have discovered a gene they believe is responsible for obesity in mice, and which could have enormous implications for humans.

Mice with this gene, called C-CBL or Sybil, have a higher than average body temperature because they’re burning food faster. They even eat more than average mice, but don’t put on any extra weight.

“This discovery is so exciting [that] we are now working feverishly on this new avenue,” says Professor David James, from Diabetes and Obesity Research Program at Sydney’s Garvan Institute.

Sybil’s discovery came about by accident three years ago, when scientists discovered the gene’s contolling effect on metabolism. Since then, researchers at the Garvan have been working to find Sybil’s counterpart in humans. This three-year trial is the first major research done on Sybil and its effect on weight gain.

“We measured how much these mice ate, and they actually seem to eat more than a normal mouse but they still put on less weight,” says researcher Dr Greg Cooney.

The implications will be more than cosmetic. If researchers can make the leap from mice to humans all sorts of obesity-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke could effectively be treated before they became problems, saving countless lives.

“As the world is getting fatter the number of people with Type 2 diabetes is going up and up,” says Professor James. “So if we keep their weight down, we keep the increase in diabetes down.”