Hormonal
Targeting hypothalamic AMPK in SF1 neurons using small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) loaded with dominant-negative AMPKα1 plasmids reduces body mass and adiposity by increasing sympathetic nervous system-mediated brown adipose tissue thermogenesis, without affecting food intake.
This technology is currently in preclinical stages (mouse models). While it shows promise for treating obesity by boosting energy expenditure rather than suppressing appetite, it is not yet available for human use. Current clinical options remain focused on lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery, and pharmacological agents like GLP-1 agonists.
Indeed, the SF1–AMPKα1–DN-containing sEVs triggered significant reduction in body mass and adiposity without affecting the food intake in obese mice. Moreover, the weight-reducing effect was primarily due to the increase in SNS-mediated UCP1-dependent BAT thermogenesis and the subsequent increase in energy expenditure [53,54].
Why this rating
The evidence is based on preclinical rodent models (diet-induced obesity and db/db mice), not human clinical trials.
Source
Obesity wars: hypothalamic sEVs a new hope
Sayani Mukherjee et al. · Trends in Molecular Medicine · 2023
DOI 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.04.006
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