SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - A research team at Sookmyung Women’s University has developed a new nanotechnology that uses light to selectively break down fat inside fat cells, a potential advance toward safer and more precise obesity treatments.
The study, announced on December 16, was led by Byun Jun-ho, a professor in the university’s College of Pharmacy. The researchers say the approach targets fat without damaging surrounding tissue, addressing safety concerns linked to existing obesity treatments.
Obesity is one of the most common chronic health conditions worldwide and is closely associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease. Current treatments rely largely on medication or surgery, which can cause systemic side effects or require invasive procedures, increasing demand for more targeted alternatives.
The team focused on a natural cellular recycling process known as chaperone-mediated autophagy, or CMA. CMA helps maintain balance inside cells by breaking down specific proteins, and recent studies have shown it plays a key role in fat metabolism.
To activate this process selectively, the researchers developed a nanoparticle system embedded in a hydrogel. The nanoparticles are coated with membranes derived from fat cells, allowing them to be absorbed primarily by fat cells rather than immune cells or nearby tissue. Each particle also carries a drug that promotes fat breakdown.
When near-infrared light is applied, the nanoparticles generate mild heat that activates a key CMA-related protein, HSC70. This triggers the breakdown of a protective protein surrounding fat droplets, allowing fat-digesting enzymes to access and dismantle stored fat. The effect occurs only inside fat cells.
In animal tests using mice fed a high-fat diet, the treatment led to significant weight loss and clear reductions in fat tissue size and triglyceride accumulation after light exposure. The researchers reported no abnormal findings in major toxicity indicators, including liver and kidney function, supporting the potential of the approach as a localized treatment.
Byun said the study differs from existing light-based fat treatments that destroy fat cells directly. “This strategy selectively breaks down fat by precisely controlling the cell’s natural degradation system,” he said, adding that the approach could eventually be expanded to metabolic and aging-related diseases linked to impaired autophagy.
The findings were published in Advanced Materials, an international journal in materials science and nanobiotechnology. The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from Seoul National University, Korea University, and the Korea Institute of Materials Science.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
