Inhibiting PAK4 for obesity

Inhibiting the serine-threonine kinase PAK4 could help treat obesity by preventing PAK4’s phosphorylation of the fatty acid-binding protein FABP4 and the lipase HSL, thus promoting the interaction between FABP4 and HSL, and subsequent lipolysis.

PAK4 protein expression was higher in omental fat depots from obese patients than fat depots from healthy individuals, and fat depot levels of PAK4 were positively correlated with plasma leptin levels, triacylglycerol levels, total cholesterol levels, body mass index and waist circumference, and negatively correlated with plasma adiponectin levels. ...