Nieuw onderzoek D3 onthult verrassende aanpak van overgewicht
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Een nieuw onderzoek heeft een verrassende biologische reactie op de consumptie van vet ontdekt, die kan leiden tot een nieuwe aanpak van overgewicht. Het vandaag gepubliceerde onderzoek toont voor het eerst aan dat endocannabinoïde signalering in het darmkanaal een belangrijke rol speelt bij de regulering van de vetinname. Tot nu toe dacht men dat de signalering zich beperkte tot de receptoren in de hersenen. Het preklinisch onderzoek van de unit Drug Discovery en Development (D3) van het Italiaanse Instituut van Technologie en de Universiteit van Californie, Irvine, stelde vast dat de bovenste darm endocannabinoïden produceert na een maaltijd met vet. Het effect treedt niet op bij suiker en eiwitten.
Engelstalig bericht:
D3’s New Study Reveals a Novel Approach to Targetting Obesity
A new study has revealed a surprising biological response to the intake of fats, which could provide a novel approach to targeting obesity.
The study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows for the first time that endocannabinoid signaling in the gut plays an important role in regulating fat intake. It had previously been thought that signaling was limited to receptors in the brain.
The preclinical study by the Drug Discovery and Development (D3) unit of the Italian Institute of Technology and the University of California, Irvine, showed that a meal containing fats results in the upper gut producing endocannabinoids, a family of biologically active lipids. Sugar and proteins do not have this effect, the study noted.
Dr Daniele Piomelli, Scientific Director of D3, and lead investigator said: “We know that eating fatty foods can taste good but the molecular mechanisms and signals behind the response have been largely unknown.
“We now know that fatty foods generate a signal in the tongue that results in the small intestine producing what are known as the body’s natural marijuana-like chemicals in a powerful positive feedback loop that drives fat intake.â€
The unrestricted availability of fatty foods in industrialised countries is considered to be a key contributing factor for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.1
New treatments for obesity are an active area of pharmaceutical research. Blocking cannabinoid type 1 receptors with an antagonist is a potential mechanism of action, but can cause serious psychiatric side effects if the drug enters the brain. This latest publication suggests it might be possible to halt cravings for fatty foods by blocking the actions of endocannabinoids in the gut, using an antagonist that does not enter the brain.
About the Drug Discovery and Development Unit (D3)
The D3 is a specialist unit of the Italian Institute of Technology dedicated to the discovery of new medicines that get to the core of 21st Century disease, including pain, inflammation and dementia.
D3 combines the creativity of start-of-the-art academic laboratories with the focus of a start-up company to accelerate research in important areas of unmet medical need.
D3 collaborates with private partners, including pharmaceutical companies, venture capitalists and angel investors, on specific projects of shared interest in discovery.
For more information, visit www.iit.it/d3.
About the Italian Institute of Technology
The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) is a foundation established jointly by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to promote excellence in basic and applied research and to contribute to the economic development of Italy.
The primary goals of the IIT are the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge as well as the strengthening of Italy’s technological competitiveness. To achieve these two goals, the IIT will cooperate with both academic institutions and private organisations, fostering through these partnerships scientific development, technological advances and training in high technology.
For more information, visit www.iit.it/en.
About the University of California (UCI), Irvine
Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service.
Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact $3.9 billion.
