Drugs can simulate fasting, and animal experiments have beneficial results

The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine

In a group of mice that were genetically prone to obesity and another group of mice that became obese as a result of a high-fat, high-sugar diet, the drug ADI-PEG 20 increased insulin sensitivity, improved cholesterol levels, and reduced levels of cholesterol in the liver.

Currently, the drug is being studied for the treatment of a variety of cancers, including sarcoma, breast and pancreatic cancer

In fact, the researchers found that the drug triggers a process in cells called autophagy, the cellular-level house-cleaning process

Senior author Brian DeBosch, associate professor of pediatrics, said: "The use of the drug appears to mimic some of the metabolic and therapeutic effects of fasting

The drug has been tested in clinical trials to study its safety and efficacy in treating several tumor types, including breast, prostate, pancreatic and liver cancers

DeBosch, a pediatric gastroenterologist who treats patients at St.

"Many obese patients considering bariatric surgery must lose weight first to make surgery safer," DeBosch said.

Yiming Zhang, Cassandra B.