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Weight Loss

Experimental weight-loss drug targets fat cells directly

Digilifetrends Published 1 min read

GLP-1 medications have transformed weight-loss treatment in recent years, but their effects are not always lasting; when the drugs are stopped, appetite and cravings can return and the weight may come back. A new experimental approach aims to change that by taking a more permanent tack: an injectable drug designed to make fat cells destroy themselves. It could eventually be used alongside GLP-1 therapies. Science News' Tina Hesman Saey explains the details.

The curve of a yellow fat cell rises like a moon against a black background. Strands of pink threads cover the cells.
Fat cells, like this one in a colored scanning electron microscope image, expand and shrink as people gain and lose weight. An experimental drug may get rid of some of them.

Apoptosis in the belly

Fat comes in two main forms. Subcutaneous fat lies just under the skin in areas such as the belly, hips, thighs and arms. Visceral fat is considered more harmful and is found deeper in the abdomen, where it surrounds the liver, intestines and other organs. In two recent clinical trials, an injectable compound known as CBL-514 caused both kinds of fat cells to enter apoptosis, the body’s programmed cell-death process, while leaving nearby tissue unharmed.

MRI scans showed that the 26 people who received the treatment had substantial reductions in deep abdominal fat compared with a placebo group of 20 participants.

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