Could a New Molecule Mimic Exercise?
Scientists have developed a molecule called “compound 14” that may one day help type 2 diabetics and obese patients reduce blood glucose levels and improve glucose tolerance. In a study on mice, researchers observed that compound 14 mimics the effect of exercise by causing cells to “think” they have run out of energy, thereby causing them to increase glucose uptake and metabolism. Obese mice that consumed the molecule for seven days lost weight and had more normal blood sugar readings than obese mice that just ate their normal diet.
Chemistry & Biology, July 2015