A compound has been developed that not only suppresses appetite but could also protect the brain against Alzheimer’s, a breakthrough that could revolutionize the treatment of obesity and neurodegenerative diseases.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Lenka Maletínská from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic, has developed a promising new compound derived from one of the peptides found naturally in the brain. This breakthrough could address two major health challenges: obesity and Alzheimer’s disease.
The neuropeptide CART, known primarily for its role in regulating food intake, has been modified at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences and this new version of the peptide shows improved stability and increased effectiveness. The compound not only suppresses appetite, but also protects the brain by reducing the pathogenicity of the protein tau, which is associated with Alzheimer’s. The results of this research have been published in the European Journal of Pharmacology.
The new compound has successfully passed tests in both cell cultures and animal models. Mice that were obese and prone to diabetes lost weight after its administration, and also showed a reduction in pathology related to the tau protein in the brain, one of the main symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
An anti-obesity drug that can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s
The efficacy of this modified molecule is due to a process called lipidization. Scientists attached different fatty acids to the natural CART peptide, discovering that the modified peptide is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is essential for the drug to work properly in the brain.
Vilém Charvát, first author of the study, explained that they have observed that when a lipid analogue of the CART peptide is applied subcutaneously, it manages to reach the brain, where it acts by suppressing appetite and, if administered over a prolonged period, it also has a neuroprotective effect, so it could be useful in the treatment or prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.
The CART peptide (cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript) was discovered in 1998 by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. This peptide has been found to be abundant in the hypothalamus and has a relatively complex structure with three disulfide bridges. However, it is still unknown which receptor it binds to in the body. Attempts to identify it have so far been unsuccessful.
Anorectic peptides (which reduce appetite) could also be useful for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
This is also the main goal of Dr. Andrea Pačesová, lead author of the study, who explained that they have in their hands a potentially effective drug against obesity that also seems to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, although she warns that to fully develop this potential it is necessary to understand why the substance acts the way it does. She adds that the first thing they need to do is decipher how the peptide reaches the brain and identify the appropriate receptors.
Research into peptides with the potential to develop anti-obesity drugs at the IOCB in Prague is led by Dr. Maletínská. A few years ago, she managed to sign a licensing agreement for a promising substance with the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Dr. Maletínská has long suspected that anorectic (appetite-suppressing) peptides could also be useful for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
“We now know, contrary to what was previously believed, that new neurons are formed even in adulthood. This regenerative process is supported by several anorectic peptides that can help repair damaged brain tissue,” said Dr. Maletínská. “If Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed at an early stage, known as mild cognitive impairment, the chances of curing it seem to be quite high,” she concludes.
