Scientists discover a way for the body to produce 'natural Ozempic' without the nasty side effects

A one-time gene modification may help the body produce its own 'natural Ozempic,' a study suggests.

Researchers in Japan used gene editing to alter the livers in mice to produce an internal supply of exenatide, the active ingredient in GLP-1 agonist Byetta.

Like Ozempic and Wegovy, Byetta is an injection used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by regulating blood sugar levels.

After just one treatment, mice in the study were able to produce exenatide on their own for up to six months.

Mice who underwent gene editing were then fed a high-calorie diet to make them obese and give them prediabetes.

Compared to mice on the same diet who weren't naturally producing exenatide, genetically modified mice ate less food, gained less weight and responded better to insulin, which regulated their blood sugar levels.

There were also no noticeable side effects, a stark contrast from drugs like Ozempic, which have been linked to stomach paralysis, blindness and organ failure.

While it's unclear if the treatment would have the same effect on humans, the researchers believe this could be the first step in making drugs like Ozempic, which have to be taken on a regular basis, a thing of the past.

The study authors, from the University of Osaka, wrote: 'This study suggests that genome editing could be used to create lasting treatments for complex diseases, potentially reducing the need for frequent medication.'

The new research comes as one in eight Americans - 40million - has reported taking a GLP-1 agonist like Ozempic at least once and as obesity rates sit at 40 percent, totalling around 100million.

However, as more people turn to GLP-1 drugs, increasing numbers complain of debilitating side effects. Users have reported nausea, vomiting, constipation, stomach paralysis, vision loss and tooth decay.

Users who stop taking these drugs are also prone to gaining weight back.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications, looked at mice who were given high-calorie diets to induce weight gain and prediabetes, a precursor to type 2 diabetes that affects one in three Americans.

Using CRISPR technology - a type of gene editing usually used for cancer patients - the researchers inserted a gene into the mice's liver cells that gave them instructions for making exenatide.

Keiichiro Suzuki, senior study author and specially designated professor at the University of Osaka, said: 'The results were very exciting. We found that these genome-edited mice produced high levels of exenatide that could be detected in blood for several months after the introduction of the gene.'

The researchers found mice on the treatment gained 34 percent less weight and ate 29 percent less food compared to the control group that received saline solutions.

The mice also had consistently lower blood sugar levels than controls, which can stave off the development of type 2 diabetes.

The treatment led to a 'reservoir' of exenatide in the liver, so there was a steady flow of it into the bloodstream.

Dr Suzuki said: 'An alternative to genome editing for many complex and non-genetic diseases is biologic medications, which are essentially injectable proteins.

'These medications do not stay in the body long, meaning they typically have to be injected weekly, or even daily, to maintain consistent therapeutic levels of the drug.'

The researchers plan to conduct further studies to evaluate if the treatment could treat diabetes and other chronic inflammatory conditions as an alternative to injectable GLP-1 medications.

Dr Suzuki said: 'We hope that our design of a one-time genetic treatment can be applied to many conditions that do not have exact genetic causes.'