Researchers develop new pathways for obesity and liver disease treatment

Researchers are developing new medical approaches to treat obesity and metabolic diseases through distinct biological pathways.

In New Zealand, University of Auckland researchers are developing an oral weight-loss pill that targets fat storage rather than suppressing appetite. Supported by $1.198 million in Health Research Council funding, the treatment aims to prevent fat accumulation while avoiding the muscle loss often associated with GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro. Preclinical data suggests the drug may provide weight loss comparable to existing injections without reducing food intake.

Separately, researchers at McMaster University in the United States have discovered that the hormone GDF15, known for appetite suppression, also activates a brain-to-liver signaling pathway that suppresses liver inflammation. This mechanism appears to work independently of weight loss or changes in food intake. The findings suggest that GDF15 could potentially be used to treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and slow the progression of liver scarring and fibrosis.