
Here’s what’s known about celastrol, widely hailed in 2015 for its potent anti-obesity effects. It’s derived from the roots of the thunder god vine. It increases the brain’s sensitivity to leptin, the hormone that signals we’ve had enough to eat. It has curbed food intake by nearly 80 percent in obese mice, producing up to a 45 percent weight loss. It’s now in Phase 1 clinical trials conducted by ERX Pharmaceuticals; phase 2 studies are slated to begin this year.
What hasn’t been known is how celastrol makes the brain more sensitive to leptin. A study in today’s Nature Medicine finally provides an answer.
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