AMPK-activating peptides for metabolic disease

Peptides that block inhibitory phosphorylation of of the energy-sensing enzyme AMPK could help treat mitochondrial dysfunction and hyperglycemia related to obesity and aging by promoting mitochondrial fission, which increases cellular respiration.

In hepatocytes from obese patients, aged mice, or genetically obese mice, mitochondria were more elongated and had lower mitochondrial respiratory activity than respective non-obese controls, and had higher levels of inactivating AMPK phosphorylation at the protein’s S496 residue, which is induced by high levels of insulin or glucagon. ...