Weight Loss Breakthrough: New Approach Targets ‘Support Cells’ for Fewer Side Effects
Scientists discover a novel way to curb appetite by bypassing common gastrointestinal issues linked to popular slimming drugs.
Researchers have pinpointed a fresh strategy for weight management, aiming to mitigate the nausea and vomiting that deter many patients from continuing popular weight-loss medications. This innovative approach focuses on the brain’s “support” cells rather than neurons, potentially offering a gentler path to reduced appetite and improved glucose control.
A Shortcut to Appetite Control
Current medications like Ozempic, which target brain neurons to control appetite, often lead to significant gastrointestinal distress. It’s estimated that up to 70% of patients discontinue these treatments within a year due to side effects. However, a multidisciplinary team led by chemistry professor Robert Doyle at Syracuse University has identified an alternative pathway.
Instead of directly targeting neurons, which are often likened to a light bulb in the brain’s intricate system, this new research investigates the role of “support” cells. These cells, analogous to the wiring and filament that allow a light bulb to function, play a crucial but less-explored role in brain activity. The team’s findings suggest these support cells could offer a less problematic route for appetite regulation.
Identifying a Novel Compound
Collaborating with experts from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Kentucky, Doyle and his colleagues discovered that a specific chemical produced by brain cells called astrocytes could be key. Their study, published in Science Translational Medicine, details how these cells naturally create a molecule known as octadecaneuropeptide (ODN).
When administered directly into the brains of rats, ODN demonstrated the ability to suppress appetite, leading to weight loss and enhanced glucose processing. Recognizing the impracticality of direct brain injections for human treatment, the researchers engineered a modified version of the molecule. This new compound, dubbed tridecaneuropeptide (TDN), is designed for administration through standard injections, similar to existing weight-loss drugs.
Promising Results in Pre-Clinical Trials
Pre-clinical tests involving obese mice and musk shrews showed that TDN effectively promoted weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity without inducing the nausea and vomiting associated with current therapies. Doyle explained the advantage: “Instead of running a marathon from the very beginning like current drugs do, our targeting downstream pathways in support cells is like starting the race halfway through, reducing the unpleasant side effects many people experience.”
This downstream targeting approach offers a potential solution to the common side-effect profile of GLP-1 drugs. “If we could hit that downstream process directly, then potentially we wouldn’t have to use GLP-1 drugs with their side effects. Or we could reduce their dose, improving the toleration of these drugs. We could trigger weight loss signals that happen later in the pathway more directly,”
Doyle added.
Path to Human Trials Underway
The potential of this discovery is now being pursued by a newly launched company, CoronationBio. The firm has secured licensing for intellectual property related to ODN derivatives from Syracuse University and the University of Pennsylvania, with the explicit goal of bringing this novel treatment to patients. CoronationBio is actively partnering with other entities to advance the development of TDN, with the aim of initiating human clinical trials as early as 2026 or 2027.
The development aligns with a broader trend in obesity research, where understanding the complex interplay of brain cells is opening new therapeutic avenues. For instance, research published by the National Institutes of Health in 2023 highlighted the role of gut-brain signaling in satiety, an area that also benefits from a more holistic understanding of neurological and cellular communication. (NIH, 2023).
