- Infection could prevent type 2 diabetes by improving blood glucose levels
- Past research reveals a protein in the jab releases appetite-suppressant signals
- Obesity medications cause a maximum body weight loss of 12% after one year
- Bariatric surgery makes people lose up to 30% of their body weight but is risky
- The injection has no side effects in monkeys but needs replicating in humans
Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter For Mailonline
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A hunger-blocking jab could help people lose 10 percent of their body weight in six weeks, new research reveals.
When injected with a specific protein, known as GDF15, obese monkeys lose this amount of weight in just six weeks, as well as their appetite being suppressed by 40 percent, a US study found.
The animals’ glucose levels also improve after jab administration, which lowers their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the research adds.
Although research has only been conducted in animals to date, the findings raise hope of one combating obesity in humans.
Previous studies reveal GDF15 binds to molecules in the stomach and intestines, which causes signals to be sent to the brain that reduce appetite without causing side effects.
Obesity is an epidemic in the western world, affecting up to one-third of the population of the US and UK.
Weight-loss medications generally cause people to lose between seven and 12 percent of their body weight after a year, while bariatric surgery peaks at 30 percent weight loss but is expensive and can result in hernias, bowel obstruction and malnutrition.
A hunger-blocking injection could help people lose 10 percent of their body weight in weeks
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INTERMITTENT FASTING CAN CAUSE WEIGHT LOSS IN WEEKS BY STIMULATING CELLS TO BURN FAT
Intermittent fasting can cause substantial weight loss in just weeks, research revealed earlier this month.
Mice who are fed a normal diet for two days followed by 24 hours without food shed pounds after just six weeks, a study found.
Researchers believe fasting triggers a protein that causes white blood cells to stimulate fat cells to burn lipids.
Study author Professor Kyoung-Han Kim from The Hospital for Sick Children in Ontario, said: ‘Intermittent fasting without a reduction in calorie intake can be a preventative and therapeutic approach against obesity and metabolic disorders.’
Previous research reveals fasting reduces abdominal fat, which is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
As well as weight loss, extreme calorie restriction has also been associated with improved blood pressure, gut health and brain function.
Reduces body weight by 10% in six weeks
Researchers based in Amgen’s LA office injected obese monkeys with GDF15, as well as an antibody to make the protein circulate longer in the body.
Results reveal the monkeys lost 10 percent of their body weight and ate around 40 per cent less after six weeks.
Their blood glucose levels also improved, which reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Previous research in mice shows GDF15 binds to molecules in the stomach and intestines, which causes signals to be sent to the brain that reduces appetite.
More effective than approved medications
Obesity is a troubling epidemic in the western world, affecting up to one-third of the adult population of the US and UK.
Carrying too much weight puts people at risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.
FDA-approved obesity medications tend to cause people to lose between seven and 12 percent of their body weight after a year’s administration.
Yet drugs such as Roche’s Xenical have been linked to incontinence, diarrhoea and flatulence.
Although bariatric surgery is the gold-standard weight-loss treatment as it causes between 20 and 30 per cent body weight loss, it is expensive and can cause complications including bowel obstruction, hernias and malnutrition.
According to the study’s lead author Murielle Véniant, the injection caused no side effects in monkeys but needs replicating in humans.
The findings were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
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