Researchers Will Create Obesity Vaccines, The End Of Heavy Problems?

JAKARTA - What if you can eat anything without worrying about weight rising? This may sound like a dream, but researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are approaching the reality.

They are developing a mechanism to create vaccines that can help maintain weight by utilizing the strength of healthy bacteria.

In a study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, mice are injected with microorganisms found in cow and soil milk are shown to be immune to weight gain due to high diets of fat and sugar.

"What's very surprising about this research is that we see a total prevention of weight gain related to diet in these mice," said Christopher Lowry, lead author and professor of integrative physiologicals, quoted by VOI from the NY Post page on Monday, January 13, 2025.

"This shows that exposure to beneficial bacteria can protect us from some negative impacts of a typical Western diet," he continued.

This study focuses on Mycobacterium vaccine (M. vaccae), microorganisms found in cow's soil and milk. Previously, Lowry found that M. Vaccae could reduce inflammation due to stress in mice. This discovery prompted him to explore the possibility of making 'stress vaccines' from the bacteria.

In a recent study, Lowry and his team tested whether M. Vaccae could also fight brain inflammation and anxiety that often arises due to poor diet.

Tikus remaja dibagi menjadi dua kelompok, yakni satu kelompok diberi diet sehat, sementara kelompok lainnya diberi makanan sebagai junk food selama 10 minggu. Sebagai dari masing-masing kelompok menerima suntikan M. vaccae setiap minggu.

The results were surprising. Tikus that only eat junk food without injection have gained 16% more weight than the healthy diet group. They also have more visceral fat, a dangerous type of fat that circles the body's organs and increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

However, mice who eat junk food but receive M. vaccae injections do not experience additional weight gains. In fact, their visceral fat is less than the rats who are on a healthy diet.

This study adds to evidence about the benefits of healthy bacteria known as 'old friends'. These bacteria evolve with humans, but are now increasingly found due to modern lifestyles that are too sterile.

When we lose contact with this old friend, who previously helped regulate the immune system and suppressed inflammation, our risk of inflammatory disease increased," Lowry explained.

chronic inflammation is a serious threat to health. It can damage cells, tissue, and organs, as well as trigger various diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Vaccines against weight gain may sound like science fiction, but if proven effective, this could be a major breakthrough in the medical world. Further research is needed to understand how M. Vaccae prevents weight gain and whether similar effects can be applied to humans.

If successful, this vaccine can be a new solution to overcome the obesity crisis, which currently affects about 40% of adults and 20% of children in the United States. In addition, this vaccine can be a more affordable alternative to new generation weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, high prices and difficult to access.