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Engineered particles made from purified sand could be a potential cure for obesity
Engineered particles of purified sand could be the next anti-obesity therapy as new research from the University of South Australia shows porous silica can prevent fats and carbohydrates from being adsorbed in the body. The technically produced silica particles consist of purified sand and are optimally equipped with a large surface area, which enables them to absorb large amounts of digestive enzymes, fats and sugars in the gastrointestinal tract. The study, funded by the Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation, is the first to validate how porous silica particles can impede digestive processes and stop the adsorption of fat and sugar. In collaboration with Glantreo Limited…
Engineered particles made from purified sand could be a potential cure for obesity
Engineered particles of purified sand could be the next anti-obesity therapy as new research from the University of South Australia shows porous silica can prevent fats and carbohydrates from being adsorbed in the body.
The technically produced silica particles consist of purified sand and are optimally equipped with a large surface area, which enables them to absorb large amounts of digestive enzymes, fats and sugars in the gastrointestinal tract.
The study, funded by the Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation, is the first to validate how porous silica particles can impede digestive processes and stop the adsorption of fat and sugar.
Developed in collaboration with Glantreo Limited, the new silica-based therapy will be gentler on the stomach and have fewer of the unpleasant side effects associated with the mainstream obesity drug, Orlistat.
The lead researcher Dr. UniSA's Paul Joyce says this groundbreaking finding could transform the health outcomes for billions of people struggling with obesity.
Obesity is a global problem that affects more than 1.9 billion people worldwide.
Despite this, there is currently a lack of effective therapies that are free of side effects – such as diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain – which often deters people from starting treatment.
Porous silica has attracted increasing attention for its anti-obesity potential, with human studies showing it to be a safe therapy. However, exactly how it works has eluded researchers – until now.
Our research shows how porous silica promotes an anti-obesity effect by acting locally in the gut to limit fat and carbohydrate digestion and absorption.
Importantly, the gentle mechanism is expected to deliver clinically effective weight loss results without side effects.”
Dr. Paul Joyce, Senior Researcher, UniSA
Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and cancer and is associated with higher death rates. In Australia, two-thirds of adults and one in four children are considered overweight or obese.
The in vitro study examined multiple silica samples under simulated conditions that mimicked the gastrointestinal environment during digestion of a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal.
It turned out that porous silica particles with pore sizes between 6-10 nm are ideal for triggering an inhibitory response to both fats and sugars.
“This research has identified defined parameters for porous silica to achieve anti-obesity effects,” says Dr. Joyce.
“The next steps are to validate these results with animal models of obesity so that we can determine all the variations for optimal anti-obesity conditions.
"Obesity is a completely preventable disease. This is a huge step towards tackling one of the world's most prevented health problems."
Source:
Reference:
Chen, J.Y., et al. (2022) The anti-obesity effect of porous silica is dependent on the pore nanostructure, particle size and surface chemistry in an in vitro digestion model. Pharmacy. doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14091813.
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