Hormone-Based Substances Could Help Treat Neurodegenerative Diseases, Scientists Suggest

Hormone-based substances that today help people effectively lose weight may have an even broader potential, according to scientists. Similar mechanisms appear to play a role in the brain, where these substances could help slow down or even treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

In the CHEmic podcast, Lenka Maletínská from IOCB Prague and Jaroslav Kuneš from the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences discuss how peptide hormones affect not only metabolism and appetite regulation but also neuronal function. Their research focuses on developing compounds that mimic natural hormones in the body, act directly in the brain, and can thus precisely influence the behavior of nerve cells.

So far, experiments on animal models show that some of these substances not only support weight reduction but also improve memory and protect brain cells from damage. However, before such treatments can reach patients, scientists must go through a long process of testing and verifying their safety and effectiveness.

This research opens up new possibilities in treating one of the most serious lifestyle diseases—obesity—while at the same time offering hope for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The study is part of the CarDia project, which connects experts from various fields to find new ways to fight obesity and its related diseases.

You can listen to the full podcast (in Czech) here: https://www.uochb.cz/cs/novinky/683/podcast-chemic-49-o-mozku-jeste-hodne-nevime-obezitu-ale-lecit-umime

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