A virus known as Ad-36 has been found in the blood of 2000 obese patients in Australia. New research shows that this virus may be linked to weight gain.

Animal models, such as chickens, mice and marmosets that have been infected by the virus have all been shown to experience weight gain. This virus, usually associated with colds, diarrhea and eye infections has been found, in one study, to be in about 30% of a group of 500 obese Americans, compared to 11% of the non-obese population. The mechanisms by which the virus causes weight gain is not yet clear, especially because the virus doesn't seem to have an effect on the body mass index.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20060317-18524100-bc-australia-fatvirus.xml

as i understand the article, 20% out of a sample of 2000 austrailians, showed the presence of the ad-36 virus, but the austrailian author, NG Martin, disputes any correlation of the presence of the virus with body mass index.

 

i am always wary of research that hasn't been published. some film trailers are much better than the actual film.

i would be interested to understand how the ad-36 virus can have such wide tropism, infecting chickens, mice, marmosets and humans. this would make it an extraordinarily successful virus. i would also like to see some immunology showing the presence and character of the immune response to ad-36.

 

95% of the population test positive for herpes simplex virus, but fortunately cold sores, gential sores or herpes encaphalitis, are not so common. just because the presence of the virus can be detected, does not mean there is an active infection.

here is the paper by RL Atkinson with the animal research:

Whigham LD, Israel BA, Atkinson RL.

Adipogenic potential of multiple human adenoviruses in vivo and in vitro in

animals.

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Jan;290(1):R190-4. Epub 2005 Sep

15.

PMID: 16166204

or

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/290/1/R190

 

does anyone else recall the early days of gene therapy? adenovirus vectors where the most popular choice. unfortunately, the extremely high doses of adenovirus-gene molecules needed to ensure sufficient transformation produced dangerous if not lethal immune responses. i am going to read this paper closely to see if there is any indication that the animals became ill.

i read the paper i referenced above. no immunological characterisation was made and 'no brain damage was observed' in the chickens.

My article says weight gain linked to laziness. Really alot of unhealthy lifestyle choices outside of laziness cause weight gain.

just an interesting, potential link. Obviously, more research is needed to find out the truth.