Fortschritte in der biochemischen Forschung: Entdeckung körper-eigener Appetitzügler

Abstract

According to the WHO, around half of the world's population could be overweight or obese by 2030. This would increase the risk of numerous health problems. Traditional weight loss methods have limited success, while pharmacological approaches such as semaglutide are effective but have side effects. New approaches focus on the body's own peptide hormones, which play a central role in energy balance. Innovative bioinformatic methods can be employed to identify previously unknown peptides. A notable discovery is the peptide BRP, which acts in the brain to significantly reduce food intake in mice and pigs, and could potentially regulate appetite without causing adverse effects. BRP acts independently of known hunger regulators, focusing its effect on the hypothalamus. This makes it a promising candidate for future therapies. While many questions remain, particularly regarding safety in humans, this research opens up new avenues for obesity-specific treatments with fewer side effects.