A new weight loss method might save overweight people a lot of headaches.  Researchers discovered a way to trick the human body into consuming more energy by blocking a single enzyme. In this case they targeted an enzyme referred to as the Fyn kinase that indirectly controls the “energy master switch”.

According to the tests they performed on mice, those that lack the Fyn kinase burned more fatty acids and become leaner. Also they had increased insulin sensitivity.  To chemically inhibit the Fyn kinase the researchers used an experimental drug called SU6656. The SU6656 is a selective inhibitor of Src kinases, Including Src, Yes, Lyn, and Fyn.

Although SU6656 worked well on mice, and because the Fyn kinase affects fat tissue as well as muscle tissue and the brain, it’s not an ideal drug for clinical trials on humans said Claire C. Bastie, one of the researchers. “Our next goal is to design something extremely specific to muscle and adipose,” Bastie said.