Known as GC-1, the drug reportedly speeds up metabolism (新陈代谢), or burning off, of fat cells. "GC-1 dramatically increases the metabolic rate, essentially transforming white fat, which stores extra calories and is associated with obesity and metabolic disease, into a fat like calorie-burning brown fat," said Kevin Phillips, a researcher in Houston.
Until several years ago, scientists thought that only animals and human babies have energy-burning, "good" brown fat. "It is now clear," Phillips said, "that human adults do have brown fat, but appear to lose its calorie-burning activity over time." White fat has a bad effect on people when the body has too much of it. Some published research shows that people who have more brown fat have a reduced risk of obesity. Researchers are now working on ways to "brown" white fat, or change it into brown fat.
GC-1 works, according to Phillips. He said he and other researchers have tested the drug in hundreds of mice.
Obese mice, both genetically obese and those with diet-induced obesity, received GC-1 treatment daily. Genetically obese mice lost weight and more than 50 percent of their fat mass in approximately two weeks, Phillips reported. He said mice with diet-induced obesity experienced similar improvements. The drug also caused adaptive thermogenes (适应性发热) in fat cells from mice. Cells grown in a dish, as well as tissue samples taken from obese mice, showed evidence of white-fat browning. "Our data prove that GC-1 is a novel fat-browning agent that may have use in the treatment of obesity and metabolic disease," Phillips said.
The drug has not yet been tested for weight loss in humans. However, Phillips said it wouldn't be long before it was used as a way of losing weight.
