GLP-1 drugs have revolutionized obesity treatment, but they can lead people to lose muscle mass along with fat. And when patients stop treatment, they often regain their weight — primarily as fat.
A new Northwestern University study offers a potential solution: an experimental RNA therapy that induces the body to burn calories, thereby enhancing the benefits of GLP-1s.
The study authors say their findings mark the first demonstration that an RNA therapy can turn on thermogenesis, when the body burns calories to produce heat. To achieve this, the experimental treatment essentially reprogrammed white fat, which stores energy, into beige fat, which helps burn it. The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.