Treating obesity: does antagonism of NPY fit the bill?

Abstract

In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Erondu et al., (2006) identify a selective neuropeptide Y5 receptor antagonist that, as predicted from rodent studies, results in weight loss when administered to overweight and obese human subjects. In a one-year randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, the weight loss was modest; the results support the emerging concept that NPY acts via overlapping and redundant energy homeostasis pathways.