Snake metabolite pTOS hints at a new appetite-control drug path
Researchers identified pTOS, a metabolite produced by python gut bacteria that surges after a meal (more than 1,000-fold); when given to obese mice, it suppressed appetite, leading to about 9% body weight loss over 28 days, without notable changes in energy expenditure or organ size. Unlike GLP-1 drugs that slow gastric emptying, pTOS appears to act on the hypothalamus to regulate hunger. The molecule also exists at low levels in human urine, suggesting potential safety, though clinical applicability requires more research; the findings were published in Nature Metabolism.