The hope is that leptin—or a drug that mimics its action—can help people with type 1 diabetes keep their blood sugar under control without relying solely on insulin.

Leptin is a hormone released by your body fat, or adipose tissue, to help maintain weight in the long run. It signals the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, to suppress appetite and increase ...

More than a decade ago, researchers found that an acute complication of type 1 diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), can be resolved with the hormone leptin, even in the absence of insulin.