Blame Your Fat On AD-36

I have seen a documentary on the AD-36 virus yonks ago!! But I find it very fascinating. If you have never heard of it, let me explain what AD-36 is......

Human adenovirus 36 (HAdV-36) or AD-36, which it is called is one of 51 types of adenoviruses known to date, to infect humans. It was first discovered with obesity in chickens by Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar.


New evidence reveals that the virus responsible for the common cold could also be responsible for obesity. Scientists claim to have proved that infection with human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), already known to be responsible for breathing and eye infections, also changes adult stem cells from fat tissue into fat cells.

In a study, scientists used adult stem cells from fatty tissue obtained from a large number of patients having undergone liposuction. Fifty per cent of the stem cells were then exposed to the virus while the other 50% were not. About seven days into the growth in tissue culture most of the cells that had been infected with the virus had morphed into fat cells whereas the cells that had not been infected did not.

Besides this, the study also recognized the specific gene in the virus that appears to be involved in this obesity-promoting effect.

However, scientists are not exactly sure how this virus causes obesity and if it is possible that other human viruses may also be responsible for it. The scientists are also not aware of how long the virus stays in the body of obese people, or for how long the fat enhancing effects may last after the virus have left. According to a research done, it was found that animals remained overweight even six months after the infection had left them.

On the contrary, scientists are also now working at identifying factors that may influence certain people having the virus to develop obesity while it may not for others.