A new discovery reveals that astrocytes, star-shaped cells in the brain, play a key role in regulating fat metabolism and obesity. These cells act on a cluster of neurons, known as the GABRA5 cluster, effectively acting as a “switch” for weight regulation.
The MAO-B enzyme in these astrocytes was identified as a target for obesity treatment, influencing GABA secretion and thus weight regulation.
KDS2010, a selective and reversible MAO-B inhibitor, successfully led to weight loss in obese mice without impacting their food intake, even while consuming a high-fat diet, and is now in Phase 1 clinical trials.
This seems like a really odd result. We already have MAOI drugs, they were the first class of antidepressant drugs invented accidentally in the 50s when they found the tuberculosis drug iproniazid made people happier. The selective and reversible MAO-B inhibitor selegiline has been used for years to treat parkinson’s disease. None of these drugs are known to induce weight loss.