Shortcut to weight loss? Scientists discover 'hidden' brain shortcut without nausea
Simultaneously, shedding pounds is one of the hardest tasks to do, especially if it's the stubborn visceral fat you're trying to lose. Even with proper diet, rigorous workout, and other wellness rituals, losing a considerable amount of weight is a tough job. Unless you're resorting to fast solutions like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and medications of a similar kind.
But they do come with their fair share of downsides. Enter nausea, vomiting, and whatnot! But, imagine losing weight without the nausea that often makes popular drugs like Ozempic impossible to stick with.
A team led by Syracuse University's Prof. Robert Doyle
has identified a brain peptide that can curb appetite and improve glucose control, without causing nausea or vomiting.
Read on to know more.
A 'shortcut' to weight loss: What's the science?
Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management. It is a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, modified with a side chain. It can be administered by subcutaneous injection or taken orally.
Now, these traditional weight-loss drugs, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy), focus on neurons in the brain's hindbrain region. While effective at curbing appetite, they often cause nausea and vomiting, which causes about 70% of patients to stop treatment within a year.
Enter the research team from Syracuse University, led by chemistry professor Robert Doyle. They looked beyond neurons to explore the role of brain 'support cells,' like glia and astrocytes, cells that don't transmit electrical signals but help neurons function properly.
Talk about introducing science and smart work, packed together!
The appetite-suppressing molecule: ODN to TDN
The research team discovered that astrocytes in the hindbrain generate a natural peptide, octadecaneuropeptide (ODN), which reduces appetite and improves glucose metabolism in lab animals. Because ODN itself isn't suitable for human use, researchers created a modified version named tridecaneuropeptide (TDN). When injected into obese mice and musk shrews, TDN triggered weight loss and better blood sugar control, without causing nausea or vomiting.
Why is this a shortcut?
Doyle compares current drugs to running a marathon from the very start. They must navigate many steps, some causing side effects, before appetite suppression occurs. TDN, in contrast, starts the race halfway through by directly activating downstream support cells, skipping the early neuron-focused steps that provoke nausea.
As quoted by Science Daily, Doyle explained, '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,' adding, '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.'
What's next
This discovery opens the door to new obesity and diabetes treatments that are potentially more tolerable and easier to stick with. To bring this to reality, a new biotech company called CoronationBio has been formed. It holds the licensing rights from Syracuse University and the University of Pennsylvania, and plans to start human clinical trials around 2026–2027.
Why this discovery is 'groundbreaking'
Syracuse University's discovery of a brain 'shortcut' via support cells marks a potential turning point in obesity treatment. Why? Without nausea, patients may stick to treatment longer, which means better compliance and quality of life. Moreover, TDN or similar drugs could make obesity treatments safer and more appealing to more people. Additionally, bypassing the neuron-heavy path might allow lower doses of traditional drugs when combined with this approach.
Bonus point? Shifting focus from neurons to support cells could inspire more targeted approaches in brain-related treatments.
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