A slimming hormone: is it a fact or fiction?
Researcher at USC discovered a new mitochondrial-derived peptide hormone that mimics the effects of exercise and fights weight gain caused by a high-fat Western diet. The newly discovered hormone, "MOTS-c," primarily targets muscle tissue. MOTS-c treatment in mice prevented age-dependent and high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance, as well as diet-induced obesity. This can represent a major advancement in identifying new treatments for age-related diseases like diabetes and obesity.
MOTS-c is unique among hormones in that it is encoded in the DNA of mitochondria in comparison to other hormones which are encoded in DNA in the nucleus. This research finding positions mitochondria as active regulators of metabolism.
While all of the experiments on MOTS-c to date have been performed on lab mice, the molecular mechanisms that make it function in mice exist in all mammals, including humans. Keeping that in mind, would you be willing to participate in clinical trials knowing that this newly synthesized hormone can stimulate the metabolism in the same way as exercise and help with weight loss? Will this be a long term effect or transient? What risks could be associated with it?
What do you think?
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