In The NoCo

Why a CU researcher thinks a vaccine against weight gain could be on the horizon

By In The NoCo,

Published June 18, 2025 at 5:40 AM MDT

Ways To Subscribe

"I think one reason that we should consider exploring this further is that this approach of giving this bacterium, in a sense, is simply replacing something that we've lost as humans have transitioned from our ancestral hunter-gatherer and agricultural existence to a more urban existence, says Chris Lowry of CU Boulder. His research focuses on a strain of bacteria called M. vaccae that appears to prevent weight gain. — "I think one reason that we should consider exploring this further is that this approach of giving this bacterium, in a sense, is simply replacing something that we've lost as humans have transitioned from our ancestral hunter-gatherer and agricultural existence to a more urban existence, says Chris Lowry of CU Boulder. His research focuses on a strain of bacteria called *M. vaccae* that appears to prevent weight gain.

A vaccine against weight gain may be a reality soon, thanks to new research from the University of Colorado Boulder. The study focuses on a strain of bacteria that prevents obesity by reducing inflammation.

Chris Lowry is a professor of integrative physiology and CU and led the research. His study found that he could prevent mice from becoming overweight, even when raised on the equivalent of an all-McDonald’s diet.

When his team injected mice with that particular strain of bacteria, the junk- food mice gained no more weight than mice with healthy diets.

Chris Lowry joined Erin O’Toole in January to talk about his research and why he thinks it’s a promising solution for obesity and how the results caught him off guard. We’re listening back to that conversation today.

Tags

In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

See stories by In The NoCo

Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

See stories by Ariel Lavery

Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

See stories by Erin O'Toole

Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

See stories by Brad Turner