(c) The University of Georgia
研究を行ったDonald Harn教授
ヒトに寄生する生物の多くが分泌する糖分子が，肥満に関連した代謝疾患の治療に役立つことを示唆する研究結果が発表された。この糖分子には抗炎症作用があり，肥満が炎症を伴うことから，これらの疾患への効果が予測された。マウスに高脂肪食を与えて一部をこの糖分子で処置すると，処置しなかったマウスは肥満となり，インスリン抵抗性や中性脂肪の上昇などが認められた。一方，処置を受けたマウスは，体重は増えたものの代謝障害を示す変化は見られなかった。他に乾癬や多発性硬化症にも効果を発揮する可能性があるという。（吉田素子）
Parasitic Worms may Help Treat Diseases Associated with Obesity
On the list of undesirable medical conditions, a parasitic worm infection surely ranks fairly high. Although modern pharmaceuticals have made them less of a threat in some areas, these organisms are still a major cause of disease and disability throughout much of the developing world.
But parasites are not all bad, according to new research by a team of scientists now at the University of Georgia, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Université François Rabelais in Tours, France, and the Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
A study published recently in Nature Medicine demonstrates that once inside a host, many parasitic worms secrete a sugar-based anti-inflammatory molecule that might actually help treat metabolic disorders associated with obesity.
The sugar molecule, or glycan, is released by parasites to help them evade the body's immune system. By reducing inflammation, they are better able to hide in tissues, and humans experience fewer symptoms that might reveal their presence.
"Obesity is an inflammatory disease, so we hypothesized that this sugar might have some effect on complications related to it," said Donald Harn, study co-author who worked on the research while at Harvard School of Public Health and is now Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Infectious Diseases.
The researchers tested their hypothesis on mice fed a high-fat diet. Those in the control group exhibited many of the symptoms associated with excessive weight gain, such as insulin resistance, high triglycerides and high cholesterol.
［単語和訳］
Parasitic Worms：寄生虫 Associated with：～と関連した Obesity：肥満
undesirable：望ましくない infection：感染 fairly high：かなり高い pharmaceuticals：薬剤 less of：それほど～ではない organisms：生物 disability：障害 much of ：大部分の developing world：発展途上国
parasites：寄生生物 according to：～によると Public Health：公衆衛生
demonstrates：明らかにする host：宿主 secrete：～を分泌する sugar-based：糖がベースの anti-inflammatory：抗炎症性の molecule：分子 metabolic disorders：代謝疾患
or：すなわち glycan：グリカン evade：～を逃れる immune system：免疫機構 inflammation：炎症 tissues：組織 symptoms：症状
hypothesized that：～と仮説を立てた complications：合併症 co-author：共著者 Alliance：協力（連携） Distinguished：優れた Investigator：研究者 （DistinguishedとInvestigatorは肩書きの一部） College of Veterinary Medicine's：獣医学部の Infectious Diseases：感染症
researchers：研究者 hypothesis：仮説 mice：マウス high-fat diet：高脂肪食 control group：対照群 excessive：過度の weight gain：体重増加 insulin resistance：インスリン抵抗性 triglycerides：トリグリセリド cholesterol：コレステロール
