Fat-Fighting Drug

Dateline: 07/02/98

Since the discovery of the leptin gene in 1995, researchers have been trying to come up with a drug that can prevent obesity. Last year, scientists came a step closer to this goal with the discovery of the genetic makeup of a hormone secreted by leptin. It appears that the leptin hormone controls weight gain by decreasing appetite and regulating the energy burning processes of the body. Until recently, studies have been conducted only on mice. New research is being done with humans, and the early results are promising.

In a study by Tufts University researchers, injections of a synthetic leptin hormone were given in different doses to a test group of people. A control group of subjects were given a placebo. In a month's time, those who received leptin had lost almost four times the amount of weight as those who had received none. In fact, the amount of weight loss by all participants in the study was positively correlated with the amount of leptin received. The greater the dose of leptin, the greater the weight loss. These findings were very similar to those in studies with mice.

In spite of the positive early results, scientists warn that more research is necessary. One major concern is the uncertainty about how leptin works in the body. It is speculated that the hormone signals the brain that the body has had enough to eat. This suggests that obese people may not produce enough leptin or that it is somehow being blocked from reaching the brain. Others speculate that obese people may have a defective leptin gene. The resulting hormone would also be defective and could signal the body to store energy that would normally be burned and used.

Known side effects of the leptin drug are negligible, but the long term consequences are unknown. No doubt there will be plenty of volunteers to continue research, considering the thousands of people who struggle with weight gain. Similar studies are currently being done with a larger group of people in the hopes that more positive findings will result. Ultimately, researchers believe that it is only a matter of time before a drug to treat obesity will be available.

What do you think? Can this drug really work? If so, will it lead to other health problems by creating an "easy" way to lose weight? Should we be more concerned with caloric intake and exercise as a means of controlling weight gain? Come over to the Biology Forum and share your thoughts, opinions, and feelings.