An Injectable Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO) Approach to Treat Obesity in Preclinical Models

Abstract

Obesity leads to metabolic dysregulation and thus drives complications including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, steatotic liver disease and some cancers. Obesity is primarily driven by lifestyle factors, which impacts individuals differently depending on their genetic susceptibility. Studies on this genetic risk have provided major insights into gene networks that modulate obesity development, including incretins and their regulatory circuits. Indeed, incretin-based therapeutics (i.e. GLP1 RA) have proven to be enormously successful in promoting weight loss, but do so with several ongoing challenges including significant weight rebound upon cessation, loss of lean mass, and side effects that reduce therapeutic longevity. Thus, ongoing research is necessary to identify additional interventions that overcome or minimise these concerns. To this end, in our previous work we have identified a novel lipid regulatory protein with potential to influence lipid storage. In the current study, we use antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) to silence this protein in mouse models of diet induced obesity, and demonstrate that once weekly IP injections of ASO prevents the development of obesity, and defends against the progression of existing obesity. This is shown to be effective in multiple mouse strains fed different diets over various time frames, with gene targeting ASOs leading to reductions in fat mass, no change in lean mass, along with improvements in whole body glucose tolerance and steatotic liver disease. Additional studies demonstrate that this phenotype is likely driven by effects in adipose tissue, but not liver, and is not linked to activation of the Type 1 Interferon response, a previously implicated off target effect of ASO administration. Thus, these studies demonstrate that our injectable ASO approach in mice can successfully treat obesity in the absence of major change in lean mass, thus positioning this intervention as a therapeutic program that works alternatively to, or in conjunction with current weight loss medicines.