New T2D peptide

Very cool! Mapping 2,600 previously uncharacterized human proteolytic peptide fragments cleaved by prohormone convertases 1/3 (PCSK1/3) using a computational prediction model, a team led by Stanford University School of Medicine's Katrin J Svensson identified a small 12-mer peptide that reduces food intake and exhibits anti-obesity effects in mice and pigs without inducing nausea. It does so independently of any know anorexigenic pathways, probably targeting a yet-to-be-identified GPCR.

In other words: they discovered a new, smaller, brain-penetrant peptide, different from the typical incretins (GLP-1 RA, GIP RA, ...) that exploits a new pathway. And they did that by systematically looking at peptide fragments that result from PCSK1/3 cleavage.

Phenomenal work, with more promising bioactive peptides that will emerge from this set.