For many people trying to lose weight, hitting a plateau is a common and frustrating experience. While initial weight loss may seem promising, the body often adapts to reduced calorie intake by slowing metabolism, making it harder to shed those final pounds. However, new research may have uncovered a way to prevent this metabolic slowdown, offering hope for more effective weight loss treatments.
In a recent study published in Cell Metabolism, scientists identified a protein called PLVAP, found in liver stellate cells, which plays a critical role in regulating how the liver switches between burning fat and sugar. The study suggests that similar mechanisms may exist in humans, potentially opening new doors for treating weight loss plateaus.
Professor Kim Ravnskjær, co-author of the study, explained to BBC Science Focus, “This is a novel mechanism that has not been identified before.” The research team found that when PLVAP was switched off in mice liver cells, their metabolism remained active even during fasting, meaning their livers did not transition to burning fat as they normally would when food intake was reduced. Instead, their livers continued burning sugar, keeping metabolism from slowing down.
This discovery could help develop drugs that target this mechanism and prevent the body’s natural response of reducing metabolism when food intake is reduced. Ravnskjær noted, “If we can identify and study this mechanism, this may allow us to develop small-molecule drugs that could regulate metabolism.”
Additionally, the study revealed that suppressing PLVAP improved insulin sensitivity and lowered blood sugar levels in mice, both of which are crucial for maintaining a healthy weight. Ravnskjær commented, “Reducing PLVAP in the liver seems to have positive effects on metabolic health.”
However, while the findings are promising, Ravnskjær cautioned that there is still much to learn before these discoveries can be applied to humans. “We’ve played with the switch and found out what it does, but now we really need to zoom in to the individual liver cells and see how it works properly,” he said. Further research is needed to better understand how PLVAP functions in human liver cells and whether drugs could be developed to safely modulate its activity.
These exciting findings could provide a future pathway to overcoming the dreaded weight loss plateau, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of current weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. However, it will take time before any clinical applications are realized.
About the Expert
Kim Ravnskjær is an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Southern Denmark. His research focuses on the liver, particularly in the context of obesity and type-2 diabetes. Ravnskjær is also the co-founder of the Research Unit for Functional Genomics and Metabolism and has published work in top journals such as Nature and Cell.
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