Scientists are one step closer to developing the holy grail of weight-loss drugs: a pill that makes users slim without diet or exercise.
They tested an early version of the treatment – currently as an injection – in mice fed a junk food plan that mimicked the worst Western diets.
Rodents given the injection did not gain weight even though they ate foods high in fat, sugar and calories, while their risk of health problems due to poor nutrition also decreased.
The makers of the drug, from the University of Texas, told DailyMail.com today that they are developing a pill version of the drug and hope to begin human trials this year.
Scientists say they may have developed a drug that can help you lose weight through an injection
The drug – called CPACC – is a small molecule that works by inhibiting the uptake of magnesium by mitochondria in cells.
The team is now seeking a patent on the drug, but warns it could be years before it reaches pharmacies.
Dr. Madesh Muniswamy, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, who led the research, told DailyMail.com, “Our next step is to do some pharmacokinetics ahead of human pilot studies.
“We saw no adverse effects. In particular, liver and heart functions were normal after twice-weekly administration of the drug by injection.
“We are looking for volunteers and private funding to conduct such trials. But that will be in the next six months to a year.”
Mice that ate a high-fat Western diet were given the ‘wonder drug’ once every three days for six days.
In addition to maintaining their weight, the researchers also suggested that the mice may have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and fatty liver disease.
They said this was because the drug prevented obesity, which is a major risk factor for these conditions.
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells and work by producing energy to drive their chemical reaction.
An important part of this process is magnesium, which helps to reduce damage to mitochondria and boost their energy-producing responses.
But researchers say that when there’s too much of the element in the cells, it can actually “slow down” energy production.
To test whether lowering mitochondrial magnesium levels could lead to weight loss, researchers initially engineered mice with genes to make it more difficult for mitochondria to absorb magnesium.
They found that even when the pinched mice were fed a high-fat Western diet, they still remained slim.
To mimic this result, researchers then designed a drug that could block the uptake of magnesium by mitochondria.
In the latest study, published in Cell reportsmice were fed a high-fat Western diet — consisting of 40 percent fat — or a chow diet — 17 percent fat.
After 20 weeks on the diet, the mice were given either the drug or a placebo.
These were given every three days for another six weeks.
The results showed that mice receiving the injections did not gain weight, even on the high-fat Western diet.
Dr. Muniswamy said reducing the amount of magnesium in mitochondria removed its brakes.
This meant they were able to produce more energy and thus burn more, helping people avoid weight gain.
We are looking for volunteers and private funding to conduct such studies. But that will be in the next six months to a year.”
“They’re all getting slim.”
He added: ‘A drug that can reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases such as heart attack and stroke, and also the incidence of liver cancer, which can follow fatty liver disease, could have a huge impact.
“We will continue its development.”