Better Than Metformin: New Diabetes Wonder-Drug Slashes Fat and Blood Sugar

By Kumamoto UniversityDecember 14, 202484 Comments3 Mins Read

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HPH-15 offers multiple benefits for managing Type 2 diabetes, including effective blood glucose control, reduced risk of lactic acidosis, improved insulin resistance, and suppression of fat buildup and fibrosis in the liver and fat tissue, with these effects observed in studies using muscle, liver, and fat tissue models. These properties make HPH-15 a potentially more effective treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Credit: Hiroshi Tateishi, Eiichi Araki, Kumamoto University

HPH-15, a compound developed by Kumamoto University, reduces blood glucose and fat accumulation more effectively than metformin, with added benefits like antifibrotic properties and a safer profile. This innovation may revolutionize diabetes treatment.

Scientists at Kumamoto University have unveiled a novel compound, HPH-15, which has dual effects: reducing blood glucose levels and combating fat accumulation. This breakthrough represents a significant advancement in diabetes treatment innovation.

Type 2 diabetes, a condition affecting millions worldwide, is often accompanied by complications such as fatty liver and insulin resistance, posing challenges for current treatment methods. The research team, led by Visiting Associate Professor Hiroshi Tateishi and Professor Eiichi Araki, has identified HPH-15 as a promising alternative to existing medications like metformin.

The study, published in Diabetologia, a top journal in the field of diabetes, demonstrates that HPH-15 outperforms metformin by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)—a critical protein regulating energy balance—at lower doses. HPH-15 not only improved glucose uptake in liver, muscle, and fat cells but also significantly reduced fat accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Unlike metformin, HPH-15 exhibited additional antifibrotic properties, potentially addressing liver fibrosis and other complications often seen in diabetes patients.

Key Findings from the Research

Key findings include:

  • Enhanced Efficacy: HPH-15 activated AMPK and promoted glucose uptake at concentrations 200 times lower than metformin.
  • Fat Reduction: The compound decreased subcutaneous fat by 44% and mitigated fatty liver more effectively than metformin in preclinical trials.
  • Safety Profile: Lactic acid production, a concern with metformin, was either comparable or lower with HPH-15, suggesting reduced risks of lactic acidosis.

These results suggest that HPH-15 could redefine diabetes management by combining glucose control with the prevention of obesity-related complications. “This compound holds transformative potential for diabetes treatment, offering benefits beyond blood sugar regulation,” said Professor Mikako Fujita from the Faculty of Life Sciences at Kumamoto University.

Reference: “An antifibrotic compound that ameliorates hyperglycaemia and fat accumulation in cell and HFD mouse models” by Tsugumasa Toma, Nobukazu Miyakawa, Yuiichi Arakaki, Takuro Watanabe, Ryosei Nakahara, Taha F. S. Ali, Tanima Biswas, Mikio Todaka, Tatsuya Kondo, Mikako Fujita, Masami Otsuka, Eiichi Araki and Hiroshi Tateishi, 9 September 2024, Diabetologia.
DOI: 10.1007/s00125-024-06260-y

Funding: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Higo Bank Innovation Support Program, Kyushu/University-launched Startup Promotion Fostering Fund (GAP Fund)

DiabetesInsulinObesity

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HPH-15 offers multiple benefits for managing Type 2 diabetes, including effective blood glucose control, reduced risk of lactic acidosis, improved insulin resistance, and suppression of fat buildup and fibrosis in the liver and fat tissue, with these effects observed in studies using muscle, liver, and fat tissue models. These properties make HPH-15 a potentially more effective treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Credit: Hiroshi Tateishi, Eiichi Araki, Kumamoto University

HPH-15, a compound developed by Kumamoto University, reduces blood glucose and fat accumulation more effectively than metformin, with added benefits like antifibrotic properties and a safer profile. This innovation may revolutionize diabetes treatment.

Scientists at Kumamoto University have unveiled a novel compound, HPH-15, which has dual effects: reducing blood glucose levels and combating fat accumulation. This breakthrough represents a significant advancement in diabetes treatment innovation.

Type 2 diabetes, a condition affecting millions worldwide, is often accompanied by complications such as fatty liver and insulin resistance, posing challenges for current treatment methods. The research team, led by Visiting Associate Professor Hiroshi Tateishi and Professor Eiichi Araki, has identified HPH-15 as a promising alternative to existing medications like metformin.

The study, published in Diabetologia, a top journal in the field of diabetes, demonstrates that HPH-15 outperforms metformin by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)—a critical protein regulating energy balance—at lower doses. HPH-15 not only improved glucose uptake in liver, muscle, and fat cells but also significantly reduced fat accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Unlike metformin, HPH-15 exhibited additional antifibrotic properties, potentially addressing liver fibrosis and other complications often seen in diabetes patients.

Key Findings from the Research

Key findings include:

  • Enhanced Efficacy: HPH-15 activated AMPK and promoted glucose uptake at concentrations 200 times lower than metformin.
  • Fat Reduction: The compound decreased subcutaneous fat by 44% and mitigated fatty liver more effectively than metformin in preclinical trials.
  • Safety Profile: Lactic acid production, a concern with metformin, was either comparable or lower with HPH-15, suggesting reduced risks of lactic acidosis.

These results suggest that HPH-15 could redefine diabetes management by combining glucose control with the prevention of obesity-related complications. “This compound holds transformative potential for diabetes treatment, offering benefits beyond blood sugar regulation,” said Professor Mikako Fujita from the Faculty of Life Sciences at Kumamoto University.

Reference: “An antifibrotic compound that ameliorates hyperglycaemia and fat accumulation in cell and HFD mouse models” by Tsugumasa Toma, Nobukazu Miyakawa, Yuiichi Arakaki, Takuro Watanabe, Ryosei Nakahara, Taha F. S. Ali, Tanima Biswas, Mikio Todaka, Tatsuya Kondo, Mikako Fujita, Masami Otsuka, Eiichi Araki and Hiroshi Tateishi, 9 September 2024, Diabetologia.
DOI: 10.1007/s00125-024-06260-y

Funding: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Higo Bank Innovation Support Program, Kyushu/University-launched Startup Promotion Fostering Fund (GAP Fund)

DiabetesInsulinObesity

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