倫敦皇家學院的Steve Bloom教授獲得了220萬英鎊的獎金,，利用一種可以將食量減少四分之一的饑餓調控激素,，研發(fā)可以對抗肥胖的口香糖。
Steve Bloom教授研究食欲控制已經超過20 年了,，他說自然產生的腸道激素是對抗肥胖最有用的武器之一,。目前只在臨床實驗中使用，但是研究人員的長期目標,，是將這種激素研發(fā)成為生活中可以隨時來一片的口香糖或鼻噴霧劑,。
英國成人中，有三分之二超重或過胖,，并且導致每星期有1,000人因肥胖的相關疾病死亡,。如果成功這項研發(fā)工作成功，將可以利用饑餓調控的治療方法,，對抗成人過胖的腰圍,，同時也帶來數(shù)十億美元的商機。
這種激素名為胰多肽(Pancreatic Polypeptide, PP),，是由胰臟制造的激素,，在每次用餐后會制造并寄送信號到腦部，告訴身體胃已經飽了,。Bloom 教授表示,，當他把激素給與受試者服用后，讓他們依自己的食欲盡量吃,，結果發(fā)現(xiàn)他們的食量減少了百分之15至25,。
但是藥物公司對于這種激素并不感興趣，因為這是天然發(fā)生的激素,，無法獲得專利,。
部分英文原文：
Pancreatic Polypeptide Reduces Appetite and Food Intake in Humans
Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is a gut hormone released from the pancreas in response to ingestion of food. Plasma PP has been shown to be reduced in conditions associated with increased food intake and elevated in anorexia nervosa. In addition peripheral administration of PP has been shown to decrease food intake in rodents. These findings suggest that PP may act as a circulating factor that regulates food intake. Therefore we investigated the effect of intravenous infusion of PP (10 pmol/kg/min) on appetite and food intake in a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in ten healthy volunteers. Infusion of PP reduced appetite and decreased the energy intake at a buffet lunch two hours post-infusion by 21.8 ± 5.7% (P < 0.01). More importantly the inhibition of food intake was sustained, such that energy intake, as assessed by food diaries, was significantly reduced both the evening of the study and the following morning. Overall PP infusion reduced cumulative 24-hour energy intake by 25.3 ± 5.8%. In conclusion our data demonstrates that PP causes a sustained decrease in both appetite and food intake.
