Novel metabolite based therapeutics for improved cholesterol, glucose and reduced weight gain (360G-Wellcome-109685_Z_15_Z)

Obesity, high cholesterol, increased glucose and insulin resistance contribute to a major and growing healthcare threat globally and represent a risk for the development of liver, renal and cardiovascular diseases, as well as Type 2 diabetes. Our project focuses on a new approach to tackling these aberrant metabolic conditions. It is based on studies of a knockout mouse with a remarkable phenotype: lean, resistant to high fat diet weight gain, increased insulin sensitivity and reduced cholesterol. Parallel metabonomic studies led to the discovery of key microbiomederived biomarkers in the knockout mouse. We will test the hypothesis that a microbiome-derived biomarker can be used as a therapeutic to moderate weight gain, plasma cholesterol and glucose and to improve insulin sensitivity.