This technology provides a method to improve appetite loss by inhibiting the FAM19A5 protein, which is involved in appetite and weight regulation, as well as a screening method to identify appetite loss therapeutics by detecting FAM19A5 expression profiles in biological samples treated with candidate compounds. It is based on the mechanism where increased levels or activity of FAM19A5 suppress appetite, while decreased levels stimulate it.
Disorders in food intake and energy metabolism can lead to diseases characterized by excess, such as obesity, or deficiency, such as anorexia. Existing appetite and weight control drugs like orlistat and sibutramine are associated with side effects such as steatorrhea, abdominal bloating, headaches, insomnia, and increased heart rate, and often lack sustained efficacy. There has been a shortage of new molecular targets for appetite regulation and corresponding drug discovery tools.
This technology utilizes FAM19A5 as a target protein for appetite regulation; inhibiting its activity promotes food intake and weight recovery, specifically targeting appetite loss caused by cancer or tumor chemotherapy. The screening method rapidly identifies appetite-stimulating candidates by monitoring changes in FAM19A5 expression following compound treatment. It can be applied to adjuvant therapies for cancer patients, appetite stimulants for pets and livestock, and pharmaceutical platforms for discovering new appetite-regulating drugs, enabling the identification of candidates targeting a novel pathway distinct from existing drugs with significant side effects.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for identifying the physiological regulatory functions of novel neuropeptides in the brain.
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