A miracle anti-obesity pill that combats cancer, diabetes and heart disease could be on the horizon.
In experiments mice given the drug didn’t put on weight – even after gorging on foods high in fat and sugar.
Scientists believe the same will happen in humans – and clinical trials are already being planned.
The compound contains a protein called BAM15 that makes the body burn more calories.
This prevents a build up of fat and blood sugar – reducing risk of the world’s biggest killers.
Dr John Kirwan, executive director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (corr)in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said: “Halting the obesity epidemic requires new, more effective medications.
“This research represents a very promising step in the discovery process.”
British experts said his lab is highly respected – and may have stumbled on the ‘Holy Grail’
Obesity affects more than 650 million people globally. It causes type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease and more than a dozen cancers.
It’s also been linked to dementia. An injection or pill is the ultimate goal in the fight against the epidemic. In the UK one in three adults are overweight or obese.
Dr Kirwan said: “Despite this, only a handful of medications are currently FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved for obesity treatment.
“And the people who take these drugs rarely achieve long-term weight loss. Halting the obesity epidemic requires new, more effective medications.
“This research represents a very promising step in the discovery process.”
The chemical differs from existing medications that work by reducing the amount of food a person eats – or the calories their bodies absorb.
Dr Kirwan said: “BAM15 works by making the mitochondria, the power plants of the cell, less efficient. The result is that the mitochondria burn more energy.”
They are structures within cells so small they are even invisible under a microscope unless stained.
But they absorb the fats, sugars and carbohydrates we eat – and turn them into energy. Dr Kirwan described BAM15 as an “energy uncoupler.”
He said: “It could be an effective drug for treating obesity and related diseases.
“We hope in the not-too-distant future, BAM15 or related compounds will advance to clinical drug development and become a viable treatment option for patients with obesity.”
The study published in EMBO Molecular Medicine found mice given BAM15 burned more calories than their untreated counterparts – and were resistant to weight gain.
Other benefits included lower blood sugar. The lab rodents also had reduced levels of insulin – making them less prone to diabetes.
They were also more sensitive to the effects of the glucose controlling hormone. Resistance to it is one of the main causes of type 2 diabetes.
The accumulation of fat in the liver, kidney and blood was also slashed. Too much can damage the organs and lead to heart disease.
Global spending to treat obesity and obesity-related illnesses amounts to well above $150 billion ( £118bn) a year.
Tam Fry, chairman and spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: “Every scientist in the world is looking to develop the treatment of choice for obesity.138208672551
“In concentrating on this protein Pennington might well be about to find the holy grail – but don’t count on reaching for your BAM15 yet.
“If it works with mice it has got off to a good start but success must await human trials once FDA permission for them has been given.
“The good news is this US laboratory has a good record for similar innovative research.”