Episode 15 - Common virus may contribute to obesity in some people, new study shows

A common virus may cause obesity in some people, according to new evidence in a controlled laboratory study. Scientists showed that infection with human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), long recognized as a cause of respiratory and eye infections in humans, transforms adult stem cells obtained from fat tissue into fat cells. The study, which might lead to new treatments for obesity, will be reported in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.