Potential of Anti-Malarial Drugs in Promoting Weight Loss: New Research Findings

Recent scientific developments suggest that certain anti-malarial medications might have a promising role in weight management and metabolic health improvement. Over the past few years, obesity and overweight conditions have become major global health concerns, linked to numerous chronic diseases. Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), led groundbreaking studies into the potential repurposing of the antimalarial drug halofuginone (HF) for obesity treatment.

Traditionally, Changshan, the root of Dichroa febrifuga Lour, has been used in China for over two millennia to treat malaria-induced fever, with HF being a key active component. While its antimalarial properties are well known, recent preclinical studies have uncovered that HF can influence appetite regulation and energy metabolism.

The research team discovered that HF increases levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). These two molecules are crucial regulators of energy balance: GDF15 acts on brain receptors to suppress appetite, leading to reduced food intake, while FGF21 promotes energy expenditure, enhances insulin sensitivity, and modulates fat and glucose metabolism.

Experimental results in mouse models indicated that HF significantly decreased body weight, improved metabolic health markers, and increased fat burning. Significantly, these effects were consistent regardless of sex, animal model type, or administration method. The mechanism involves HF upregulating the expression and secretion of GDF15 and FGF21, which jointly reduce appetite and boost energy consumption.

Moreover, manipulating levels of GDF15 and FGF21 diminished HF’s weight-loss effects, emphasizing their roles in the process. The molecular target of HF appears to be the enzyme EPRS1, which when inhibited, increases GDF15 and FGF21 levels. Compounds unable to inhibit EPRS1 did not produce weight loss, suggesting this enzyme is central to HF’s action.

This research highlights the potential of HF and its derivatives as new weight-loss drugs, showcasing a promising cross-disciplinary application of traditional Chinese medicine in modern therapeutic development. The findings could pave the way for economical, effective treatment options for obesity, leveraging small-molecule drugs to modulate key metabolic regulators rather than protein-based therapies.

The study was detailed in the journal Science Advances, signifying a significant step forward in understanding how existing drugs can be repurposed to tackle the global obesity epidemic, emphasizing the innovative use of traditional medicines for contemporary health challenges.

Source: MedicalXpress