WASHINGTON — There is new hope in the fight against fat after a surprising discovery made by scientists looking for new ways to treat cancer.
Historically, weight loss products have targeted appetite or fat absorption, but scientists say this new technique kills fat cells by cutting off their blood supply.
In a study published on Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers from the University of Texas say injecting a peptide called “adipotide” into obese monkeys made the animals eat less, shed belly fat and increased their metabolic function — without any change to their diets or exercise regimens, The Los Angeles Times reports.
It also resulted in improved insulin resistance, which could be helpful in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
In the study, three primate breeds were administered the injection daily for one month, then left untreated for one month. Three weeks after the treatment was discontinued, the monkeys on average had lost 11 percent of their body weight and 39 percent of their fat deposits.
The synthetic peptide works by attaching to the blood vessels that feed into a person’s fat cells, and then attacks the fat cells, killing them.
While pleased with their findings, researchers say they can’t yet fully explain the effects of the treatment. One concern, they say, is safety. Some of the test monkeys developed kidney lesions and saw a decrease in their phosphorus and potassium levels.
The drug is expected to move into clinical human trials in coming months.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
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