BioCentury
ARTICLE | Cover Story

Wising up to NPYs

January 29, 2009 8:00 AM UTC

In the mid-1990s, neuropeptide Y was thought to be a promising obesity target based on its activity in the CNS as a potent feeding stimulator. However, the approach didn't succeed and only one company is still working in that space. But in a turn of events, two new studies now suggest that the peptide hormone could actually be a target in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.

One study, published inPublic Library of Science Genetics by a team at Duke University School of Medicine, links mutations near the gene encoding neuropeptide Y (NPY) to higher risk of early onset CAD.1...