Less hunger and higher energy consumption New remedy for diabetes and obesity

Double keeps better: New drug combination against diabetes and heavy obesity

According to experts, more and more obese people live in Germany. And the number of diabetes patients has increased massively for years. Researchers are now reporting a new combination therapy for obesity and so-called diabetes. This curbs the appetite and at the same time increases the energy consumption.

Increase in obesity and diabetes

More and more people are too fat: Obesity (obesity) has long been a widespread disease, which is favored by various factors. In addition to lack of exercise here is mainly an unhealthy diet, often combined with excessive appetite, to call. If you weigh too much, you also have a higher risk of developing diabetes. With a new combination therapy for overweight and the so-called diabetes, the problems could be better controlled in the future.

Overweight is considered the biggest risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Researchers have now developed a new strategy against obesity and so-called diabetes. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com)

Melt excess fat pads

"Obesity is the biggest risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease," explains Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Matthias H. Tschöp, Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Zentrum München and holder of the Chair of Metabolic Diseases at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in a statement.

"By diet alone, the increasing obesity problem is unfortunately not get under control, which is why drug therapies are essential," adds Tschöp, previously director of the Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (IDO) at the center.

That's why he collaborated with Dr. Timo Müller (Acting Director of the IDO), dr. Christoffer Clemmensen (formerly IDO) and Sigrid Jall (PhD student at IDO) developed a new strategy.

Researchers have succeeded in using a new combination therapy, to melt excess fat pads, while the appetite is restrained and the energy expenditure is increased.

The study results were recently published in the journal "Nature Communications".

Submission of the new therapy comes from nature

As stated in a joint press release from the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München (TUM), partner in the German Center for Diabetes Research, the presentation of the new combination therapy comes from nature.

"It has long been known that we consume more energy when we are in a cold environment. The body then tries to maintain body temperature, "explains Clemmensen.

Mammals such as humans have special - so-called brown - fat cells, which are specialized to convert energy into heat.

A key mechanism in this process is based on activating special crypto receptors (Trpm8 channels) that relay the cold signal to the brown adipose tissue.

One component of the new drug combination, the molecule Icilin (derived from the English word 'ice'), aims to produce precisely this effect.

"Icilin activates Trpm8 channels and thus leads to an increase in energy turnover, but without us having to go into a cold environment," explains Sigrid Jall.

According to the researchers, drug activation of Trpm8 in obese mice led to activation of brown adipose tissue; the energy turnover increased and the body weight decreased.

Fight the hunger feeling

The second component of the drug combination aimed to curb appetite and thus reduce food intake.

Here, the scientists used a molecule that responds in the brain similar to nicotine so-called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). These receptors are located on special nerve cells in the hypothalamus.

When activated, this leads to increased satiety and appetite decreases.

In their experiments, however, the researchers did not use the toxic nicotine to activate the receptors, but the more harmless but much more specific dimethylphenylpiperazine (DMPP).

Again, in obese mice, DMPP not only reduces food intake but also significantly improves sugar metabolism.

Combination works better than single treatment

The experts made a particularly important discovery in their experiments: the combination of icilin and DMPP reduced body weight and improved sugar metabolism far more than if the effects of single treatment of icilin and DMPP were simply added up.

For example, sole treatment with icilin or DMPP has only a minor effect on body weight.

"However, combining both treatments in a single therapy, the body weight and the sugar metabolism are sustainably improved, an important gain in the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of obesity and diabetes," said Matthias Tschöp.

In further experiments, the researchers are now trying to find out why the combination of the two molecules works so much better than the individual substances.

"The results of these studies can provide important new insights into how molecules enhance each other's effects, which could significantly improve the development of future therapies," concludes Timo Müller. (Ad)