Altering Brain Proteins Enhances Efficacy and Reduces Nausea of Ozempic-like Medications
In the modern world of weight loss, the popularity of specific drugs, particularly GLP-1 medications, has skyrocketed in recent years. These drugs, with Semaglutide being one prime example, were initially introduced for type 2 diabetes treatment but found a new lease of life as weight-loss aids. Drugs like Semaglutide, accessible under various brand names such as Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy, and another GLP-1 drug called tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound), have become the go-to solution for many, with one survey suggesting that one in eight American adults have tried these meds at some point. Celebrities like Oprah, Kelly Clarkson, and Charles Barkley have even hopped aboard the weight-loss train, openly discussing their journeys.
However, these miracle workers aren't for everyone and can come with some troubling side effects. A study on Semaglutide's effectiveness for weight loss revealed that seven out of 12 male test subjects responded to the drug, compared to 24 out of 28 women. Furthermore, over half of the test subjects reported experiencing unwelcome symptoms like nausea, constipation, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. Worse yet, a larger study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shoes that using the drug can increase the risk of pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, and gastroparesis. (More on that here: Understanding the Link Between Stomach Paralysis and Ozempic)
Enter the researchers at the University of Michigan, who believe they may have uncovered a solution to minimize these uncomfortable side effects. The solution? Proteins in the nervous system called melanocortin 3 and 4, found primarily on neurons that regulate eating and energy balance. By inhibiting MC3R or boosting MC4R in mice that were also given a GLP-1 drug, the researchers managed to boost weight loss by a striking five times compared to mice that only received the GLP-1 drug. The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
"We discovered that stimulating the central melanocortin system amplifies the effects of not just GLP-1s, but every anti-feeding hormone we tested," said study co-author Roger Cone in a press release.
Curiously enough, another study published last week demonstrates potential in reducing nausea associated with GLP-1 drugs, although more research is needed to determine if these results apply to humans.
While it's unclear when, or if, drugs that mimic this experiment will become available to the public, Cone remains optimistic that his findings in mice would also hold true for humans. "The melanocortin system is highly preserved in humans," he said in the release. "Everything we've observed in the mouse over the past decades studying these proteins has also been found in humans, so I suspect that these results would also be translatable to patients."
- In the future, scientific research on GLP-1 medications, such as Semaglutide and others like Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, might offer solutions to balance their troublesome side effects, like nausea, constipation, and pancreatitis.
- The University of Michigan researchers, who are studying the role of melanocortin 3 and 4 proteins in the nervous system, believe their findings could potentially reduce the side effects associated with GLP-1 drugs in the future.
- Meanwhile, a separate study recently published demonstrates potential for reducing nausea associated with GLP-1 drugs, offering hope for a more tolerable treatment in the future.
- Roger Cone, co-author of the University of Michigan study, remains optimistic that the findings in mice, indicating amplified effects of anti-feeding hormones, could be translated to humans, paving the way for a more effective future treatment for diabetes and weight loss.
