Adipotide Before and After Photos

Back in 2011, obesity research made headlines when researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center introduced adipotide, a peptide designed to target and destroy fat cells’ blood supply and therefore kill them directly. At first, it seemed like the Holy Grail of weight loss; its potential was widely publicized. Over time however, its importance has subsided; but researchers at MD Anderson are revisiting it via an animal-based trial at their cancer center to see how well it performs on humans.

Adipotide is a synthetic peptide composed of two parts. The first, known as Prohibitin-1, targets proteins found on blood vessel surfaces that support white adipose tissue (fat). Meanwhile, Adipotide also includes a pro-apoptotic helix that targets mitochondria in fat cells, killing them before returning them back into circulation for metabolism.

Studies involving obese rodents treated with Adipotide show it can result in significant, sustained weight loss with decreased adipose tissue mass while simultaneously improving insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance and serum triglycerides levels – as well as potentially reversing early signs of Type II diabetes in nonhuman primates.

Obese monkeys treated with Adipotide showed rapid weight loss, lower Body Mass Index (BMI) scores, and changes to abdominal circumference measurements. Adipotide’s ability to inhibit some fat cells from receiving their usual source of nourishment while simultaneously reabsorbing excess body fat caused the monkeys to quickly shed unwanted body fat from their systems.

Researchers also determined that the peptide was safe and well tolerated by lean monkeys they tested it on; however, in higher dose groups monkeys exhibited kidney-associated lesions related to how much adipotide they received; however, these lesions were reversible, and their BMIs, BMI changes, and abdominal circumference changes continued to decrease even after treatment was stopped.

As well as weight loss, the team will also conduct research into how Adipotide affects prostate cancer cells by decreasing fat tissue that could promote their proliferation.

Researchers at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center plan to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial of Adipotide in humans, starting with low doses and increasing them if safe, then moving onto higher dosages if that proves effective. They’ll also measure secondary outcomes including BMI/Waist Size/Toxicity as well as prostate cancer progression – this research project should wrap up by 2022.