Overweight? There's a Vaccine for that
Researchers say that they have looked at two vaccinations that could possibly help with the weight los fight. A new study, published in BioMed Central's open access journal, Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, assesses the effectiveness of two somatostatin vaccinations, JH17 and JH18, in reducing weight gain and increasing weight loss in mice.
In the United States, more than one-third of adults - 35.7 percent - and approximately 12.5 million - 17 percent - children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese.
Researchers say both vaccines increase metabolism and result in weight loss. Vaccination with modified somatostatin causes the body to generate antibodies to somatostatin, effectively removing this inhibition without directly interfering with the growth hormones and subsequently increasing energy expenditure and weight loss.
Keith Haffer from Braasch Biotech LLC, tested the vaccinations in two groups of ten diet-induced obese male mice compared with a control group of ten mice which received saline injections.
"This study demonstrates the possibility of treating obesity with vaccination", Keith explained. He continued, "Although further studies are necessary to discover the long term implications of these vaccines, treatment of human obesity with vaccination would provide physicians with a drug- and surgical- free option against the weight epidemic."
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