The brain cells that drive appetite in obesity have been pinpointed, offering hope for new treatments.
Australian scientists found a “vicious cycle” that disrupts the body’s ability to balance its energy input with energy storage – leading to people piling on the pounds.
The research team says their discovery opens the possibility of a “new approach” to developing anti-obesity medications.
They found that a group of brain cells boost appetite when there is a prolonged surplus of energy in the body, such as excess fat accumulation in obesity.
The researchers discovered that those cells not only produced the appetite-stimulating molecule NPY, but they in fact made the brain more sensitive to the molecule, boosting appetite even further.
Study senior author Professor Herbert Herzog said: “These cells kickstart changes in the brain that make it more sensitive to even low levels of NPY when there is a surplus of energy in the body in the form of excess fat – driving appetite during obesity.
“Our study addresses a long-standing question about how appetite is controlled in obesity and has the potential to take the development of therapy into a new direction.”
Obesity affects more than one in 10 adults, and increases a person’s risk of developing other chronic conditions, including diabetes and heart disease.
Eating patterns and physical activity levels are key contributors to obesity.
Prof. Herzog, a visiting scientist at Garvan Institute of Medical Research in New South Wales, said: “Our brain has intricate mechanisms that sense how much energy is stored in our body and adjust our appetite accordingly.
“One way it does this is through the molecule NPY, which the brain produces naturally in response to stresses, such as hunger, to stimulate eating.
“When the energy we consume falls short of the energy we spend, our brain produces higher levels of…
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