University of Cincinnati researchers are partnering with Cincinnati-based Ethicon Endo-Surgery to better understand the basic biology behind obesity. A three-year, $10.3 million commitment from Ethicon will support UC researchers and Ethicon Endo-Surgery engineers as they work to find new solutions for treating obesity and related conditions, including diabetes. They want to learn more about bariatric surgery such as gastric bypass. It's one of the most effective treatments for obesity, but there is little known about why and how it actually works.
"We want to determine why this and other procedures work so well and then develop new ways to replicate the same results so that more people have access to treatment," says Randy Seeley, director of UC’s Obesity Research Center at the university’s Genome Research Institute.
Teaming its basic research with the commercial expertise in the business world is a priority for UC. In 2007, the university increased its industry-sponsored research support by nearly 40 percent. Such partnerships not only provide financial support to UC's research, "they also bring new jobs to the area and promote collaboration among scientists," Seeley said.
Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Dawn Fuller, University of Cincinnati
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