Vaccine Breakthrough Could Help Fight Obesity

Date: Jul-10-2012Around the world obesity and obesity-related diseases is on the rise. Now, researchers have found that two somatostatin vaccinations, JH17 and JH18, can effectively keep the body slim.

The study is published in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology.

According to Keith Haffer from Braasch Biotech LLC, both growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) increase metabolism and result in weight loss. However, a peptide hormone called somatostatin inhibits the action of GH and IGF-1. They found that vaccination with modified somatostatin effectively removes this inhibition by stimulating the body to generate antibodies to somatostatin.

In the six week study, the team tested the vaccinations in two groups of diet-induced obese mice. 10 mice received the vaccinations, while the other 10 mice (the control group) received saline injections. The vaccinations were administered twice - at the start of the study followed by a booster vaccination on day 22.

The researchers found that mice who received modified somatosatin had a 10% reduction in body weight just four days after the initial injection. This finding was no observed in the control group.

According to the researchers, at week six, the vaccines showed to induced antibodies to somatostatin and significantly reduced body weight, sustaining a 10% lower body weight, without affecting normal levels of the growth hormone IGF-1, or insulin levels.

Haffer explained:

"This study demonstrates the possibility of treating obesity with vaccination. Although further studies are necessary to discover the long term implications of these vaccines, treatment of human obesity with vaccination would provide physicians with a drug- and surgical- free option against the weight epidemic."

Written by Grace Rattue

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