Enzyme target for fat regulation to treat obesity, diabetes, and cachexia

This technology has identified an enzyme-iron interaction that can regulate adipose tissue browning, altering fat content to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cachexia.

Unmet Need: Targeting, treatment, and prevention of obesity and cachexia.

The obesity pandemic continues to escalate globally, contributing to a surge in chronic health conditions. Current weight loss drugs target the GLP-1 pathway to reduce appetite, but have been reported to induce severe adverse effects, such as nausea and vomiting. Furthermore, these drugs primarily regulate weight through food intake, failing to target underlying metabolomic mechanisms of fat gain or loss in diseases such as obesity and cachexia.

Unmet Need: Enzyme target for adipose tissue browning to alter fat content

This technology identifies methionine sulfoxide reductase (MSRA) as a target enzyme for regulating fat. When stabilized by interacting with iron, MRSA promotes adipose tissue browning, resulting in increased energy expenditure and fat loss. Targeting this interaction can therefore alter fat content to treat and prevent diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cachexia.

Applications:

• Treatment of type II diabetes
• Treatment of obesity
• Treatment of cachexia
• Research tool for adipose browning
• Diagnostic biomarker for cancer-associated cachexia
• Research tool to study weight-loss or weight-gain associated comorbidities
• Research tool to study PKA signaling

Advantages:

• Targets underlying metabolomic mechanisms of fat gain or loss
• May reduce the adverse effects of current weight-loss treatments
• Alternative to GLP-1 inhibitors for weight loss

Lead Inventor:

Christine Chio, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Related Publications:

• Nam JS, Dixon MS, Ahmadi P, Schilling K, Pan S, Chen Y, Yoon NA, Sun Y, Lu J, Ichimiya S, Genkinger JM, Caffrey TC, Klute KA, Swanson BJ, Grandgenett P, Hollingsworth MA, Sugahara K, Kluger MD, Ferrante A, Diano S, Chio IIC. “An Iron-regulated Signalling Pathway Controls Adipose Browning and Cancer Cachexia.” bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Jul 18:2025.07.16.664180.

• He D, Feng H, Sundberg B, Yang J, Powers J, Christian AH, Wilkinson JE, Monnin C, Avizonis D, Thomas CJ, Friedman RA, Kluger MD, Hollingsworth MA, Grandgenett PM, Klute KA, Toste FD, Chang CJ, Chio IIC. “Methionine oxidation activates pyruvate kinase M2 to promote pancreatic cancer metastasis.” Mol Cell. 2022 Aug 18;82(16) :3045-3060.e11.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU25091, CU25092
• Licensing Contact: Joan Martinez