August 01, 2006
Positive Results Published for Experimental Anti-obesity Vaccine
by Marie-Eve Laforte

Data from a preclinical study suggest that vaccination with antigens that target ghrelin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and weight, may help slow weight gain and fat build up in the body. Study results were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the study, researchers vaccinated rats with one of three antigens targeting ghrelin, and the results showed that two of the antigens triggered the production of antibodies against ghrelin. Unvaccinated rats gained more weight than those that were vaccinated when both groups were fed the same amount of food, the findings also showed.

The results suggest that the vaccine "slows weight gain and decreases stored fat in rats," and also appears to help control whether the body stores or burns off fat, study co-author Dr. Kim Janda stated, as reported in ABC News. "Our study is the first published evidence proving that preventing ghrelin from reaching the central nervous system can produce a desired reduction in weight gain," Janda added.

More research is necessary before the vaccine can be tested in humans, researchers indicated.