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A recent discovery by a University of Saskatchewan (USask) research team has unveiled promising new avenues in the fight against obesity and metabolic disorders. Their findings, published in Nature Communications Biology, highlight the significant health benefits of a protein known as nesfatin-1-like peptide (NLP), which suppresses appetite and now shows remarkable lipid-lowering effects.
Led by Dr. Suraj Unniappan, the team’s research, conducted at USask’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Medicine, marks a pivotal advancement in endocrinology. “We found that both NESF-1 and NLP lower lipid accumulation in human liver cells,” stated Dr. Unniappan, highlighting the protein’s potential to combat fat buildup, a hallmark of metabolic diseases.
NLP, a close relative of the previously studied nesfatin-1, expands the repertoire of targets for treating conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (MAFLD), affecting approximately 20% of Canadians. Despite recent approvals in the United States, effective therapies for MAFLD remain limited in Canada.
“Our discovery not only enhances our understanding of lipid metabolism but also opens doors for developing new therapeutic strategies,” explained Dr. Unniappan. The team’s insights could lead to future treatments that target lipid disorders more effectively than current approaches relying on lifestyle modifications alone.
The research team’s work underscores the importance of exploring NLP’s potential across various animal models, including rodents and potentially larger animals like cats and dogs, which also suffer from obesity-related conditions. Collaborative efforts involving Dr. Atefeh Nasri and Dr. Scott Widenmaier have propelled this research forward, supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and USask’s Centennial Enhancement Chair in Comparative Endocrinology.
While clinical applications of NLP are still in the early stages, the team’s findings provide a promising foundation for future studies aimed at translating these discoveries into practical treatments for metabolic diseases in both humans and animals.
For more information on this groundbreaking research, visit the USask College of Medicine’s website or read the full study in Nature Communications Biology.
