Novel findings on natural appetite modulation offer hope for combating obesity and type-2 diabetes as per a study by scientists from Trinity College Dublin and Princeton and Harvard Medical School, published in the leading international journal Nature Metabolism (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Metformin and feeding increase levels of the appetite-suppressing metabolite Lac-Phe in humans

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The new research shows the diabetes drug Metformin and solid foods elevate a hunger-reducing factor (Lac-Phe) in the body, while sugary drinks have minimal effects.

Obesity is a key driver of type-2 diabetes, and the 2022 Eurostat report revealed that 1 in 5 Irish adults are obese. Indeed, global diabetes cases have more than tripled in the last 20 years alongside the rise in obesity.

The cost of managing diabetes represents approximately 9% of EU Member States’ healthcare budgets – totaling €149 billion in 2019.

There is no cure for diabetes and every year in Europe 114,000 people lose their lives from diabetes-related complications.

The scientists today report new insights into how the widely used diabetes drug metformin benefits patients with type-2 diabetes. Metformin is described by some as a “wonder drug” even though we still do not know exactly how it works.

Transforming Strategies Against Obesity and Diabetes

This study shows that metformin increases the amount of an appetite-suppressing factor called Lactoyl-Phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), identified in 2022 as a natural appetite suppressant, and which is known to be raised by vigorous exercise.

The scientists probed data from other studies involving large numbers of patients, to conclusively demonstrate that Lac-Phe levels rise after individuals take metformin. This work opens a new avenue for developing targeted anti-obesity treatments.

Barry Scott, the first author of the research, is a former stock market trader and now a Ph.D. Candidate in Trinity’s School of Biochemistry and Immunology, based in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI).

He said: “I’m hopeful our research can have a big impact. Metformin is the most prescribed drug for type-2 diabetes, and it’s very safe and well-tolerated. How metformin affects appetite was not known, but this work shows that its influence on Lac-Phe is a key part of its hunger-suppressing impact.”

The team also discovered that Lac-Phe increases after eating, and so contributes to the feeling of fullness after a meal.

David Finlay, Associate Professor in Immunometabolism, Trinity, who co-supervised the work with Professor Lydia Lynch, Princeton and Harvard Medical Schools, said: “Our study shows that the type of food you eat matters. For instance, eating sugar-rich date fruits caused an immediate and large surge in Lac-Phe, for example, whereas drinking a sugar-rich drink did not. This could help explain why liquid calories can drive obesity.”

Professor Lydia Lynch said: “Identifying the factors that control appetite and satiety after a meal is important to help us to understand and ultimately treat the current obesity epidemic. Further understanding Lac-Phe’s actions may lead to a new class of safe and effective anti-obesity drugs.”

Reference:

1. Metformin and feeding increase levels of the appetite-suppressing metabolite Lac-Phe in humans
   – (https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-024-01018-7)

Source-Eurekalert