Recent research by Professor Bloom and his team identified the role played by gut hormones in appetite control. These hormones are released when a person eats, acting as neurotransmitters to indicate to the brain to stop eating. In particular, the researchers are interested in the pancreatic polypeptide (PP), which they believe may provide a solution to appetite suppression.
“Developing a treatment based on natural appetite suppression, mimicking our body’s response to being full, has the potential to be safe and effective,” said Professor Bloom.
Professor Bloom points to research showing that people with benign PP-secreting tumors have elevated levels of the hormone and yet appears to show no adverse side-effects.
The researchers hope to develop a synthetic form of PP which can be administered to patients.
“The trouble with PP is that it would need to be injected daily and cannot be taken as a pill,” said Dr Caroline Small. “Naturally, this is not very convenient, so we need to develop an injectable form that is longer lasting and can be administered on a weekly basis to make it more practical.”
If successful, the proposed research may lead to a treatment within five to eight years.