# Burning fat with cysteine depletion

## TL;DR

Removing cysteine from the diet and using genetic methods in mice triggers a liver stress response that could lead to new obesity treatments.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel approach combining dietary and genetic cysteine depletion to target obesity through liver stress responses.

## Key findings

- Cysteine depletion in mice triggers a unique liver stress response.
- This method enhances metabolic outcomes related to weight loss.
- It suggests a potential new treatment for obesity.

## Abstract

Removing certain essential amino acids from the diet is known to promote weight loss in rodents via effects on food intake and energy expenditure. Two complementary articles by Varghese et al [Nature 643(8072)] and Lee et al [Nature Metabolism 7(6)] now show that cysteine depletion through combined dietary and genetic means in mice evokes a unique stress response in the liver to amplify these metabolic outcomes and offer a potentially new treatment option for obesity.