The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7205 p10
6 July 2002

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Novel strategy for anti-obesity drugs

A duodenal hormone has been found to be a potential target for anti-obesity drugs, researchers report. Secretion of this hormone, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), is induced by the absorption of ingested fat or glucose and links overnutrition to obesity.

The researchers found that mice lacking the receptor for GIP that were fed a high-fat diet were protected from both obesity and insulin resistance. They comment that in the absence of the receptor, fat is used as the preferred energy source rather than accumulating in adipocytes and causing obesity.

The study is to be published in Nature Medicine.