Reduced fatty acid levels: Graz research leads the way for medicines

Rolf Breinbauer (TU Graz), Robert Zimmermann and Gernot Grabner (both Uni Graz, from left to right) have laid the foundation for drugs against diabetes, fatty liver and cardiac insufficiency with their research. Uni Graz/Tzivanopoulos By Gerhild Leljak - Atglistatin can reduce the fatty acid level in the blood, which is causal for type II diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver or cardiac insufficiency. Researchers from the University of Graz and TU Graz are going one step further and make the active substance fit for use in the human organism. Many illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and heart problems are the result of an elevated level of fatty acids in the blood. Five years ago Graz researchers developed a drug treatment which reduces the level of fatty acids in a model organism. Now Robert Zimmermann (University of Graz) and Rolf Breinbauer (Graz University of Technology; TU Graz) are taking this research a step further. In a recently published paper they present a variation of the drug Atglistatin, which can now also be used in humans.