BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Endocrine / Metabolic

July 31, 2017 7:19 PM UTC

Mouse studies suggest depleting microglia or inhibiting their inflammatory activity could help treat obesity. In a mouse model of obesity, depletion of microglia in the mediobasal hypothalamus with the CSF1R inhibitor PLX5622 or knockout of pro-inflammatory IKKβ in microglia and circulating myeloid cells decreased body weight, body fat and food intake compared with normal IKKβ expression or vehicle. Next steps could include identifying and testing other inhibitors of microglia inflammatory activation in models of obesity.

Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. has PLX5622 in Phase I testing to treat rheumatoid arthritis...