Understand the hungers complex chemistry to prepare effective drugs to treat obesity

By Onlymyhealth Staff Writer , Onlymyhealth editorial team

Mar 30, 2017

A team of scientists are exploring uncharted waters to figure out an effective treatment for obesity.

It is reported that early attempts to therapeutically target leptin ( fat cells) and ghrelin, which are the reason behind suppressing and stimulating appetite, couldn’t yield desired results yet, or ineffective. The better understanding the hormones involved paving way to a deeper understanding of the complex chemistry of hunger.

According to the a study appeared in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), Scientists have found that in addition to leptin and ghrelin, many other factors contribute to eating habits. Protein sensors in the stomach, for example, sense stretch, pressure and volume changes when a person eats, and create a sense of fullness. Neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, also tweak people's feelings of hunger and satiety.

Recognizing the role of the brain in weight gain, researchers developed newer therapies, approved in 2013 and 2014, to target individual neuronal signalling molecules. But to further improve obesity treatments, drugs will most likely need a more complex approach, given the multiple factors involved in hunger.
So researchers are now trying combination therapies to better regulate various parts of the body's appetite control system. A few more years of research could ultimately bear out this strategy or help redirect the field yet again.