Suppose you were hired by a biotech company to develop a drug to help people los

Question

Suppose you were hired by a biotech company to develop a drug to help people lose weight. They provide you with a huge budget, and tell you to be creative. In considering what to develop, you toy with several ideas. a) One strategy might be somewhat paradoxical. You’ll have people eat more of a certain kind of food. What kind of food would you choose (or at least, what amino acids might you want your food to contain)? Briefly explain. Another option would be to block the metabolism of a particular neurotransmitter. Which one would you choose? Why? c) Another possibility would be to make food seem less tasty. Which neurotransmitter system would you target for that? Briefly explain. d) Now, pick any one of the possibilities you considered in parts a) to c) of this question. Why did I say in the pre-amble to the question that you might end up sued for your drug? Explain, mentioning at least 2 specific concerns.

Explanation / Answer

Solution.

a) if i was in a biotech company, and i have to suggest people to eat more of a certain kind of food, then i will advice people to take Arginine, Glutamine and Methionine food, as these amino acids are very helpful in burning of excess fat and is used in fat burning diets.

Arginine rich foods- turkey, chicken, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, spirulina, peanuts etc. Various research studies has shown that arginine is very helpful in burning fat, healing wounds effectively, reduces insulin tolerance and increases glucose tolerance.

Glutamine rich foods- seafood, cabbage, protein drinks, beans, milk, nuts, eggs etc. Glutamine is helpful in regulating weight, building muscles and making immune system strong.

Methionine rich foods- cheese, turkey, pork, nuts, beef, lamb, soy, eggs, dairy, fish, shellfish and beans. Studies has shown that methionine has the fat dissolving capacity and it is helpful in reducing fat deposition in liver. it is also advised to eat methionine rich diet for hair loss.

b) Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is linked to overeating and repeated cravings when in low concentration in body. Dopamine has a diverse role in pleasure/reward, mood, attention, and motor skills. It is excitatory as well as inhibitory in nature depending on the receptors on which it gets bind. When dopamine is low in body, person craves for food like chocolates, candy etc as these food trigger dopamine production which ultimately results in weight gain. I would block either dopamine production or attachment of dopamine to their receptors as blocking the activity of this neurotransmitter would result in reduction of weight.

c) Serotonin is a very unique brain chemical which makes a person feeling full even if he/she havent had full meal. It is a natural apetite suppressant. Serotonin is produced only after taking a carbohydrate containing meal. Serotonin can be effectively used in weight loss diets to trigger good mood and in reducing food intake by curbing cravings.

d) Specific concerns regarding the drug-

- Drugs may trigger dependence or addiction in people.

- Drugs can disrupt neurotransmission leading to change in the way people think, feel and behave.

In part (b) it is suggested to block dopamine activity for weight loss but dopamine has another roles in attention, motor skills and pleasure, it is a stimulatory neurotransmitter so if we block either its production or its receptors for binding, this will lead to low blood pressure and slow heart rate.

In part (c), it is suggested to increase the level of serotonin in body but high doses of drugs containing serotonin for weight loss may result in Serotonin Syndrome in patients which includes symptoms like headache, confusion, diarrhoea, goose bumps, shivering etc.

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