Python blood could be a weight loss cure
New York Post • • health
Key Points:
- Researchers from three universities have discovered a metabolite in pythons, para-tyramine-O-sulfate (pTOS), that shows promise as a weight loss agent without the side effects common in GLP-1 drugs.
- Pythons consume large meals infrequently and experience a massive metabolic boost post-feeding, inspiring scientists to study their metabolism for obesity treatments.
- In tests on obese and lean mice, pTOS reduced appetite and triggered weight loss without causing muscle loss, energy depletion, or gastrointestinal problems.
- Unlike GLP-1 drugs, which were inspired by Gila monster venom but often cause side effects leading to discontinued use, pTOS is a naturally occurring python gut metabolite that may offer a safer alternative.
- The researchers have founded Arkana Therapeutics to develop synthetic versions of python metabolites, aiming to provide new obesity treatments based on nature-inspired biology.
