Antibodies for slimness
Leptin is a key hormone that is involved in the mechanisms of satiety, it is called the "satiety hormone", because increasing its synthesis by fat cells suppresses hunger. Since its discovery in the early 90s, leptin has been considered a possible target for the treatment of obesity. There were attempts to inject this hormone into the blood, but the result was negative – the researchers found that with obesity, sensitivity to its action decreases.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have suggested that weight normalization may result not in an increase in leptin levels, but, on the contrary, a decrease. This hypothesis at first glance seems illogical, because leptin signals to the brain that there is enough fat, and a person stops eating. That is, the more leptin, the worse the appetite should be and the lower the body weight. But five years ago, the group, using a number of additional strategies, was convinced that the introduction of large amounts of leptin leads to an increase in body weight in obese mice.
They proved that high levels of leptin cause the formation of resistance. Since obese mice – like obese people – have a lot of leptin in their blood, produced by fat cells, and the brain's leptin receptors are overflowing.
Source: article in Cell Metabolism.
Researchers have developed an antibody that reduces, but does not completely eliminate leptin circulating in the blood, which is usually elevated in obesity. To restore the sensitivity of the receptors, they injected obese mice with these antibodies to neutralize leptin. The released receptors began to recognize leptin circulating in the blood again. In other words, the brain began to react to the level of this hormone in the blood.
The authors hope to soon test the results obtained in mice in clinical trials. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the upcoming work, because the fight against obesity will reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and oncological diseases. In addition, it will be a powerful antidiabetic strategy.
Article by S. Zhao et al. Partial Leptin Reduction as an Insulin Sensitivity and Weight Loss Strategy is published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on UT Southwestern: Study suggests antibody might be a new tool to fight obesity.