Researchers have identified a gene (CYFIP2) associated with binge eating.
This finding represents one of the first examples of a genome-wide significant genetic factor to be identified for binge eating in model organisms or humans.
…
These findings, which appear online in the journal Biological Psychiatry, could potentially lead to treatments targeted to normalize eating behaviors.
…
Using gene mapping and gene validation, researchers were able to identify cytoplasmic FMR1-interacting protein 2 (CYFIP2) as a major genetic risk factor for binge eating.
In addition, they observed that decreased myelination could be a neuropathological consequence of binge eating.
Researchers believe these findings may lead to new therapeutic treatments which could ultimately save lives and restore healthy eating behaviors in conditions such as compulsive overeating, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and even substance use disorders.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Gene associated with binge eating discovered
For more background on the Genetic Literacy Project, read GLP on Wikipedia.
