An increased concentration of the hormone leptin in fat cells is believed to be responsible for weight gain associated with antipsychotic drugs, according to re
An increased concentration of the hormone leptin in fat cells is believed to be responsible for weight gain associated with antipsychotic drugs, according to re
UT Southwestern scientists may have identified a method of safely mimicking the weight-loss benefits of a plant compound that – despite its harmful side effects – hold critical answers to developing therapies for obesity.
Credit: UT Southwestern Medical Center
DALLAS - May 12, 2021 - Scientists with UT Southwestern s Peter O Donnell Jr. Brain Institute have identified the molecular mechanism that can cause weight gain for those using a common antipsychotic medication. The findings, published in the
Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggest new ways to counteract the weight gain, including a drug recently approved to treat genetic obesity, according to the study, which involved collaborations with scientists at UT Dallas and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. If this effect can be shown in clinical trials, it could give us a way to effectively treat patients for their neuropsychiatric conditions without this serious side effect, says lead author Chen Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine and neuroscience, and with UTSW s O Donnell Brain Institute and Hypothalamic Research Center.