A new study has suggested that an antibody which specifically targets a hormone responsible for hunger might be a new way to tackle the obesity epidemic. The announcement seems to follow a growing trend which seeks to find new ways to prevent obesity rather than attempting to treat it.
It is an approach which seems to make sense. It is far more difficult for an overweight or obese person to lose weight because exercising becomes far more difficult. If it seems like a Catch 22 situation then that is because it is. Preventing weight gain in the first place seems an approach which is far more likely to succeed.
Studies have been carried out on mice which have shown that the antibody, which is called GHR-11E11, seeks out and destroys a hormone that is called ghrelin and which is responsible for increasing appetite and also for breaking down stored fat in the body. Previous research which has been carried out on ghrelin has shown that levels of the hormone rise before meals and fall afterwards. It was discovered that mice who were lacking the hormone or who did not respond to it were less likely to become overweight or obese.
The lead researcher Professor Kim Janda said that the 'study showed that this novel catalytic ghrelin antibody could specifically seek out and degrade ghrelin. She went on to suggest that introducing these antibodies into patients who were trying to lose weight or who were trying to maintain a healthy weight might help them in their endeavours. The introduction of this antibody could effectively change people's eating habits.
The results of this study were published in the journal proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.