Irish research reveals role of diabetes drug in weight loss

Irish-based scientists have uncovered new secrets to natural appetite control, offering promise in the battle against obesity.

The research found that the diabetes drug metformin increases the amount of an appetite suppressing factor called Lactoyl-Phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), identified in 2022 as a natural appetite suppressant.

The study, by scientists from Trinity College Dublin and Princeton and Harvard Medical School, was recently published in the journal Nature Metabolism.

The scientists probed data from other studies involving large numbers of patients to conclusively demonstrate that Lac-Phe levels rise after individuals take metformin. This work opens a new avenue for developing targeted anti-obesity treatments.

“I’m hopeful our research can have a big impact, said the study’s first author Barry Scott from Trinity College. “Metformin is the most prescribed drug for type-2 diabetes, and it’s very safe and well tolerated. How metformin affects appetite was not known, but this work shows that its influence on Lac-Phe is a key part of its hunger suppressing impact.”

The team also discovered that Lac-Phe increases after eating, and so contributes to the feeling of fullness after a meal. The metabolite was already known to be raised by vigorous exercise.

“Our study shows that the type of food you eat matters,” said Trinity’s associate professor in immunometabolism David Finlay. “For instance, eating sugar-rich date fruits caused an immediate and large surge in Lac-Phe, for example, whereas drinking a sugar-rich drink did not. This could help explain why liquid calories can drive obesity.”

Prof Lydia Lynch of Princeton and Harvard Medical School added: “Identifying the factors that control appetite and satiety after a meal is important to help us to understand and ultimately treat the current obesity epidemic. Further understanding Lac-Phe’s actions may lead to a new class of safe and effective anti-obesity drugs.”

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Science Foundation Ireland. The published paper is available HERE.