A molecule produced in abundance by pythons following a large meal could hold the key to developing a new class of weight loss drugs with fewer side effects, according to a study published Thursday by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and two other institutions.
The researchers found the molecule, a metabolite called para-tyramine-O-sulphate or pTOS, acts on the hypothalamus, the brain’s hunger center. When obese mice were given frequent doses of pTOS, they ate less and lost weight, according to the study, which was published in the journal Nature Metabolism.
Leslie Leinwand, a professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at CU Boulder and the senior author on the study, said the discovery could lead to the development of weight loss drugs that don’t come with common side effects of the current class of GLP-1 medications. Those drugs can cause nausea and muscle loss…