Wouldn’t it be great if a protein could help you lose weight? (And wouldn’t it even be better if it tasted great on pizza?)
Wouldn’t it be great if a protein could help you lose weight? (And wouldn’t it even be better if it tasted great on pizza?)
Researchers at Georgetown University, led by Anton Wellstein, professor of oncology and pharmacology at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, were working on obese mice, forcing expression of the protein FGFBP3 (BP3 for short). The results were unexpected.
“We found that eight BP3 treatments over 18 days were enough to reduce the fat in obese mice by over a third,” Wellstein said in a statement.
The research was published in Scientific Reports.
The protein also cut several obesity-related disorders in the mice, including hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and decreased the fat in their once fatty livers. And microscopic and clinical examinations didn’t turn up any side effects.
BP3 is part of a family of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) binding proteins (BP). FGFs are observed in a broad variety of living organisms, including worms and humans. They are key to numerous biological processes, including cell growth regulation, wound healing, and injury response. Some FGFs behave like hormones.
BP1, 2 and 3 are dubbed “chaperone” proteins. They bind to FGF proteins and improve their activity. Wellstein’s research focused on the BP1 gene because its output is elevated in numerous cancers. This hints that some cancers are linked to the excess delivery of FGFs.
Wellstein and his group found that BP3 binds to three FGF proteins, 19, 21, and 23, all involved in metabolic control. FGF19 and FGF21 regulate the storage and use of carbohydrates and fats. FGF23 controls phosphate metabolism.
“We found that BP3 exerts a striking contribution to metabolic control,” Wellstein says. “When you have more BP3 chaperone available, FGF19 and FGF21 effect is increased through the increase of their signaling. That makes BP3 a strong driver of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. It’s like having a lot more taxis available in New York City to pick up all the people who need a ride.”
PB3 is a natural protein. That means that clinical trials of recombinant human BP3 could start after a round of preclinical studies.
There’s quite a bit of research going on in this area, with interesting recent findings. In September, researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute found that mice fed a fatty diet and the sugar mannose seemed protected from obesity. That research was published in Cell Reports.
“Obesity and related diseases, such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are on the rise—and scientists are on the hunt for new treatments, particularly or individuals who are unable to exercise,” stated Hudson Freeze, senior author of the paper and director and professor at SBP’s Human Genetics Program. “Better understanding of mannose’s effects on the gut microbiome may lead to new therapies for treating obesity.”
In August, researchers at the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University identified the function of a protein, melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R), which acts as an energy controller. Under normal situations, missing MC3R doesn’t seem to have much effect on mice. But when their metabolism is challenged, mice that lack MC3R lose weight faster. In addition, when eating a high-fat diet, they gain more weight compared to normal mice.
“This finding deepens our understanding of how energy balance is regulated,” stated Roger Cone, director of the U of M Life Sciences Institute and senior author of the research, which was published in Science Advances.
