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The Role of Adipotide Peptides in Weight Loss
Adipotide is a newly researched peptide that’s garnering attention for its potential in weight loss. This review explores its benefits and drawbacks, emphasizing how it might help in shedding pounds.
What is Adipotide?
Adipotide, also known as FTPP or Fat Targeted Proapoptotic Peptide, is a synthetic chemical known to promote weight loss in animals like rats and monkeys by inducing cell death in fat tissues. Initially developed to combat cancer by starving blood cells, it was discovered that Adipotide could cut off blood flow to fat cells, causing them to die and be naturally absorbed by the body.
Early studies on monkeys and rats showed promising results, with animals experiencing a 30% body mass reduction. In a human trial involving ten older, overweight women, participants lost an average of 11% of their body weight and 39% of their fat deposits after four weeks of daily injections followed by a treatment break.
This peptide works by reducing the number of fat cells, thus decreasing the overall fat tissue beneath the skin. Reduced adipose (fat) tissue results in smaller waist sizes and lower body mass indexes.
Mechanism of Action
Adipotide acts by specifically targeting and killing cells in the blood vessels that nourish white adipose (fat) tissue. When these blood vessels deteriorate, the fat cells lose their blood supply and die.
This targeted action stems from Adipotide’s ability to bind to two receptors found only in the blood vessels supplying white adipose tissues—ANXA-2 and Prohibitin. Because of this specificity, it doesn’t affect brown adipose tissue, which is crucial for heat generation in infants and in maintaining body temperature.
Benefits
Studies from the early 2000s show that about 34% of adults in the U.S. are obese, primarily due to an increase in white adipose tissue. This type of fat is a key factor in obesity, which is linked to higher rates of co-morbidities and premature death.
Reducing Body Fat with Adipotide
Research demonstrated that inducing cell death in the blood vessels of white adipose tissue could treat obesity. Experiments with mice used a peptide that targeted these vessels, effectively killing fat cells and reducing fat tissue bulk without significant side effects. These findings suggest that similar approaches could be adapted for humans, despite some biological differences between species.
Adipotide continues to be a subject of study, with its potential applications in weight loss and obesity treatment being closely monitored by researchers.