A common virus that causes cold and ocular infections may lead to obesity as well, according to a study delivered by a Romanian researcher at the American Chemical Society reunion in Boston, according to Reuters.

The study by Magdalena Pasarica, a researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center of the Louisiana State University System in Baton Rouge, a common virus determines adult human body cells to change into fat cells.

The research was based on previous studies on the Ad-36 virus and may lead to a vaccine against obesity in cases caused by this virus.

Nikhil Dhurandhar, associate professor at the Louisiana State University, showed that a previous study revealed that obese people are three times more likely to be infected with the Ad-36 virus than thin persons.

Doctor Magdalena Pasarica obtained adult stem cells from fat tissues from people that underwent liposuction interventions. Half of the stem cells were exposed to the Ad-36 virus and after a week a majority of them developed into fat cells, while non-infected cells suffered no changes.

Magdalena Pasarica graduated the Faculty of Medicine in Romania. She later obtained a PhD in nutrition. She started work a the Pennington center in May 2006.