New antibody has potential to treat type 2 diabetes

Researchers have developed a new antibody that could potentially be used to treat type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and other metabolic diseases. The therapeutic improves glucose regulation and reduces fatty liver in obese mice by targeting a hormone in adipose (fat) tissue called aP2 (also known as FABP4). The increase in adipose tissue characteristic of obesity has long been linked to increased risk for metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In the study, researchers from Harvard and School of Public Health in Boston described the development and evaluation of novel monoclonal antibodies targeting aP2.The team found that one of these antibodies effectively improved glucose regulation in two independent models of obesity. Monoclonal antibodies have the potential to be transformative first-in-class therapeutics to fight obesity-related metabolic and immunometabolic disease, the authors said.