New fat that can curb obesity found

LONDON: Scientists have identified a third type of fat that helps burn calories in adults, a finding they say could speed up the development of effective treatments for obesity.

The calorie-burning tissue, called beige fat, is produced from ordinary "white fat" cells that store energy and contribute to excess bodyweight. In addition, there is heat-generating "brown fat" carried by infants to keep them warm.

Past research had suggested adults also had small amounts of brown fat, which helped to prevent obesity. The new work showed that what was previously thought to be adult brown fat is actually genetically distinct "beige fat".

Like brown fat, it has the ability to burn calories instead of storing them in waistline-expanding deposits. Beige fat is now seen as a key target for new strategies to fight the obesity epidemic, the researchers said.

"We've identified a third type of fat cell. There's white, brown and now there is this third type that is present in most or all human beings," lead study researcher Dr Bruce Spiegelman, from Harvard Medical School, was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "Going forward, it means that what you want to study for potential therapies are the beige fat cells in these 'hotspots' we're all walking around with," he said.

Dr Spiegelman's team found beige fat cells in scattered pea-sized deposits beneath the skin near the collarbone and along the spine in human adults. A natural hormone made by exercising muscles, irisin, stimulates beige fat to burn calories nearly as effectively as brown fat, they found. The research, published in the latest online issue of the journal Cell, showed that beige fat cells spring from stem cell precursors of white fat cells. In contrast, brown fat cells emerge from muscle stem cells.

Beige fat cells behaved like a hybrid of the two cell types, being able both to store and burn calories. Stimulated the right way, their burning capacity was ramped up, the researchers found.

Meanwhile, Ember Therapeutics, a biotic company founded by Dr Spiegelman, now plans to develop the hormone's therapy potential.

Now, make your teeth 'cavity proof' in 60 seconds

LONDON: Scientists have developed a new chemical which they claim could make the teeth 'cavity proof" and do away with your need for visits to the dentists forever.

Developed by a team of researchers from the US and Chile, the chemical, called 'Keep 32', wipes out all the bacteria that cause cavities in just 60 seconds in tests.

The chemical could be added to any current dental care product, turning toothpaste, mouthwash and chewing gum into 'super cleansers' that could get rid of the underlying cause of tooth decay, the researchers said.

According to them, the chemical targets 'streptococcus mutans', the bacteria that turns the sugar in your mouth into lactic acid which erodes tooth enamel.

By exterminating the bacteria, 'Keep 32' prevents the damage to teeth before it happens. It also keeps your teeth cavity proof for several hours, the Daily Mail reported.

The chemical could even be added to foods to stop bacteria damaging teeth as you eat, the researchers said.

The product has been under test for seven years, and is now going into human trials. It could be on the market in 14 to 18 months. pti, said researchers Jose Cordoba of Yale University and Erich Astudillo of the University of Chile. They are now hoping to licence the patent to chemical giants such as Procter and Gamble.

"We are currently in talks with five interested in investing in our project or buy our patent," they added.

A tool to help hearing impaired talk

LONDON: Scientists have developed a hi-tech glove capable of converting sign language into speech, a feat they say could improve the quality of life of millions in the world with speech and hearing impairments. The "super" glove by a Ukrainian team of inventors is fitted with a complex network of sensors that recognize hand movements and translate signs, which are then converted into spoken word by a smartphone app.

The glove, called EnableTalk, has already won an award for its inventors who hope their work will help improve the quality of life of millions of people around the world with speech and hearing impairments, the Daily Mail reported.

The hi-tech glove comes complete with flex sensors, touch sensors, gyroscops and accelerometers, as well as solar cells that help keep it powered. It even allows users to create and programme their own signs, which the app will then recognize. EnableTalk is still in a prototype stage, but it's already winning admirers in high places. The project was a winner at the recent Microsoft Imagine Cup in Australia, a competition to promote technical innovations.

And the team behind it are confident they'll end up with a product that will change the lives of people with speech disabilities. "We were inspired to help our friends who are hearing - and speech-impaired to have the ability to communicate like everyone else," said a team member. Maxim Osika. The inventors claimed that the hardware for their prototype did cost them just 50, meaning they would be able to offer a finished product that doesn't break the banks.