Edinburgh University granted US anti-obseity patent

Scotland's University of Edinburgh has been granted claims by the US Patent Office relating to the use of inhibitors to a key enzyme involved in the treatment of metabolic syndrome and obesity.

11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitors can be used for the treatment of such medical conditions, as well as cognitive dysfunction and the patent was filed on the basis of research by Brian Walker, Jonathan Seckl and colleagues at the University's Endocrinology Unit with the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, who elucidated the potential therapeutic utility of inhibiting this enzyme. The research was sponsored by the Wellcome Trust, and the patent is managed by the Trust's Technology Transfer Division.