보건타임즈 : ‘군살 주사’ 백신 개발‥한방에 ‘체중감량’

마음껏 먹고도 살을 뺄 수 있는 비만 백신이 개발됐다.

붙여진 이름은 ‘군살 주사(flab jab)’다

미 텔레그래프는 단 며칠 만에 체중 지방의 10~20%를 연소시켜 몸무게를 줄여주는 백신이 개발돼 동물 실험에 성공했다고 8일 보도했다.

외신에 따르면 이 백신은 현재 임상실험을 위한 미 식품의약국(FDA)의 허가를 기다리고 있는 상태다.
이번 실험을 이끈 미국 기업 브라시 바이오텍의 연구진은 “이 백신은 혁명적인 비만 치료 무기가 될 것”이라고 밝혔다.

‘군살 주사’는 체내에 들어가 면역 체계를 자극, 소마토스타틴 호르몬을 공격하는 항체를 만들어낸다.
소마토스타틴은 뇌와 소화체계에서 생성되는 호르몬을 가리킨다.
이 호르몬은 신진대사를 느리게 하고 체중을 불게 한다.
연구진은 지난 5년간 2만 마리의 쥐, 돼지, 소를 상대로 이 호르몬을 막아내는 비만백신의 효과에 대한 동물실험을 진행했다.

이 결과 고지방 음식을 섭취한 동물들의 체중 지방함량이 이 백신을 맞은 후 4일 만에 10% 감소됐으며 줄어든 체중은 3주간 그대로 유지됐다.

그동안 운동과 식이요법이외의 체중감량방법은 수술이나 약물에 의존하는 수 밖에 없었다.
그러나 수술이나 강력한 약물은 심혈관계 질환 등 심각한 부작용을 낳아 경계 대상이었다.

이 연구를 이끈 케이스 하퍼 교수는 “짧은 시간 동안 많은 지방이 줄어드는 것을 보고 놀랐다”면서 “장기적인 효과를 위해선 더 많은 연구가 필요한 상황이지만 수술 없이 백신만으로 비만의 치료가 가능하다는 것이 입증된 것”이라고 밝혔다.

국가비만포럼의 매슈 케이프혼 박사는 “매우 놀라운 치료법이지만 살을 빼는 가장 좋은 방법은 운동과 식이요법”이라고 강조했다.

'Flab jab' could provide obesity breakthrough
An obesity vaccine has been developed that uses the immune system to keep the body slim

The recently developed obesity vaccine has shown promising early results in tests on mice Photo: REUTERS6:00AM BST 09 Jul 2012

The "flab jab" has shown promising early results in mouse studies.

If the vaccine passes further safety trials, scientists believe it could provide a revolutionary new weapon against obesity.

Currently the only non-dieting options for controlling weight are surgery and strong drugs that can have serious side effects.

The vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to attack a hormone that promotes slow metabolism and weight gain.

In tests, obese mice fed a high fat diet saw a 10% drop in body weight four days after receiving the jab.

Two slightly different versions of the vaccine were studied. Both produced a sustained 10% reduction in body weight after booster injections were administered after three weeks.

The slimming effect was not seen in a matched group of 10 untreated mice.

The recently developed obesity vaccine has shown promising early results in tests on mice Photo(REUTERS6:00AM BST 09 Jul 2012)

Lead researcher Dr Keith Haffer, from the US company Braasch Biotech in South Dakota, said: "This study demonstrates the possibility of treating obesity with vaccination.

"Although further studies are necessary to discover the long term implications of these vaccines, treatment of human obesity with vaccination could provide physicians with a drug and surgical-free option against the weight epidemic."

Research published last year in The Lancet medical journal showed that almost half of all British men could be obese within 20 years.

The proportion of men meeting the clinical definition of obesity was predicted to rise from around 20% to between 41% and 48%.

Being obese is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) - a measurement relating height and weight - of 30 or more.

More women in the UK are also becoming obese. By 2030, four in 10 British women could be at obese weight levels, the research shows.

Up to 30,000 Britons die prematurely every year from obesity-related conditions. Obesity has been estimated to cost the NHS at least £500 million a year, and the UK economy more than £2 billion.

The new vaccine uses a modified form of somatostatin, a peptide protein molecule that functions as a hormone.

In both mice and humans somatostatin suppresses growth hormones that boost metabolism and cause weight loss.

The vaccine "flags up" somatostatin so that it is seen as a potential threat by the immune system. It causes the body to generate antibodies that neutralise the peptide.

In mice, the vaccine reduced body weight without affecting normal levels of growth hormones.

Reporting their findings in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, the scientists wrote: "The vaccination effects did not significantly reduce cumulative food consumption and was confirmed by residual anti-somatostatin antibodies in mouse plasma at the study's end."

Although the mice received large amounts of the vaccine, a recent unpublished study in pigs suggested it was effective at much lower doses.

Further research will look at the vaccine's effects in obese pigs and dogs before moving onto human trials.