Pioneering weight-loss jab could stop patients from piling the pounds back on

A REVOLUTIONARY jab can help maintain weight reductions by tackling the underlying causes of obesity, scientists claim.

- By Ella Pickover

The drug, which is called RES-010, is designed to block an RNA molecule called miR-22 which experts have described as a "master controller" of many processes involved with being overweight.

These processes include how the body breaks down and uses fats, and the production and activity of mitochondria, the tiny structures that provide cells with energy and changes in how body fat is organised and how it functions.

Appetite

Researchers hope the new drug will help all of these functions in a weekly jab and lead to long-lasting weight loss.