New Drug Shows Promise in Mimicking Exercise for Weight Loss, According to Tests on Mice
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a groundbreaking drug that could potentially lead to the creation of a new weight-loss treatment that mimics the effects of exercise. The drug, known as SLU-PP-332, has been tested on mice and has shown promising results in helping obese mice lose weight and increase endurance.
The drug belongs to a class called “exercise mimetics,” which aim to provide the benefits of exercise without the need for physical activity. In the tests conducted by the University of Florida professor of pharmacy, the drug was found to boost the metabolism of the mice, convincing their bodies’ muscles that they were exercising more than they actually were.
The mice treated with the drug were found to lose weight and increase their endurance, with the ability to run nearly 50% further than before. Remarkably, these effects were achieved without the mice engaging in any physical activity.
The research is still in the early stages, but the development of SLU-PP-332 could potentially lead to the treatment of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and age-related muscle loss. This comes at a time when drugs like Ozempic have recently shown breakthrough results in reducing appetite and treating metabolic diseases.
Unlike other weight-loss drugs, SLU-PP-332 does not affect appetite or food intake. Instead, it targets a group of proteins in the body known as ERRs, which activate metabolic pathways in energy-gobbling tissues like muscles, the heart, and the brain. These proteins are more active during exercise, but it has been challenging to activate them with drugs.
In previous studies, the researchers successfully designed SLU-PP-332 to boost the activity of ERRs, leading to increased endurance and performance in normal-weight mice. In their latest research, the drug was tested on obese mice, resulting in significant weight loss and decreased fat gain compared to untreated mice. Importantly, the mice did not increase their food intake or engage in additional physical activity.
The research team also discovered that SLU-PP-332 has shown potential in treating heart failure in mice by strengthening the heart muscle. So far, the drug has not exhibited any severe side effects.
The next step in the development of SLU-PP-332 will involve refining its structure to make it available as a pill rather than an injection. Further animal testing will be conducted to ensure its safety before human trials can begin.
While there have been previous attempts to develop exercise mimetics, none have reached the market due to the lengthy drug development process. However, the success of drugs like Ozempic has sparked renewed interest and funding in finding new treatments for metabolic diseases.
The researchers believe that SLU-PP-332 may hold promise in preserving muscle mass during weight loss and combating the natural decline in exercise response that occurs with aging. However, more research is needed to fully understand the drug’s potential.
According to Thomas Burris, a professor of pharmacy at the University of Florida, “This may be able to keep people healthier as they age.”
The findings of the research were published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
Source: Journal reference: Billon, C., et al. (2023). A Synthetic ERR Agonist Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. doi.org/10.1124/jpet.123.001733.