A new study has shed light on a new treatment for potential obesity that targets the two sides of appetite i.e. hunger and feeling full.
Scientists at American Chemical Society (ACS) have designed a hormone-like compound to suppress hunger and boost satiety, or a full feeling, at the same time.
According to their study, Constance Chollet and colleagues targeted two main receptors in the body that help keep appetite in check.
When hormones bind to ghrelin receptors, people feel hungry, but when others bind to Y2 receptors, they feel full. Researchers are exploring compounds targeting the ghrelin receptor to treat obesity but because appetite is the result of multiple hormones acting in concert, Chollet's team wanted to design a compound to better address this complexity.
The researchers designed a peptide that binds both the ghrelin and Y2 receptors. They administered it to obese mice and found that those that received the novel peptide ate less than the other mice.
The study is published in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
