A team of scientists from the universities of Texas and Iowa (USA) has discovered two genetic mutations that appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, indicating that these diseases have a hereditary component .
According to the scientists, through the study of the genetics of two families affected by the aforementioned eating disorders, two genetic mutations were detected, one in each family. Both genes act on the same signaling pathway in the brain, and the two mutations produce the same biological effect, according to the study authors in the Journal of Clinical Investigation . The results suggest that this pathway could represent a new target for understanding and potentially treating eating disorders.
The analysis also indicates that mutations responsible for reducing the activity of a protein called estrogen receptor alpha, which activates the expression of other genes, increase the risk of these conditions.
