A protein called PPAR-delta in the body that regulates other genes involved in the process of breaking down fat could someday be the basis for an "excercise pill." Ronald Evans of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies genetically engineered mice to produce extra PPAR-delta to see if it would affect the rodents' weight. From Scientific American:
When put on a high-fat, high-calorie diet for 13 weeks, the transgenic mice gained only a third of the weight that their unmodified brethren did. What is more, mice on this diet remained resistant to obesity even when they were kept inactive….
Although Evans recognizes the potential for abuse by athletes, he believes that his work has more practical implications in treating metabolic ailments, including obesity and heart disease. Patients with such conditions often cannot exercise because of their weight or other complicating problems. "This work could lead to an exercise pill that gives many of the benefits of training without the need to sweat," Evans predicts.
