Scientists at the University of Aberdeen have unveiled a cluster of brain cells that regulate food intake and body weight, an advance that could herald the development of new obesity treatments free from the common side effect of nausea. This groundbreaking research, recently published in the journal Current Biology, has identified a group of neurons in the brainstem that produce a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is key to suppressing hunger signals in the brain.
The team, led by Dr. Pablo Blanco Martínez de Morentin at the Rowett Institute during the study, and including researchers from the University of Cambridge, recorded the activity of single cells and measured changes in daily food intake and body weight in mice. “We have found a new connection between an under-studied subset of neurones in the brainstem sensing food consumption that turn off primary hunger neurones in another part of the brain,” stated Dr. Blanco Martínez de Morentin. He further noted, “This connection uses the chemical GABA. This is exciting news as it opens up the potential for new strategies for weight regulation.”
Professor Lora Heisler from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute highlighted the significance of dampening the activity of cells governing hunger, which could be a major breakthrough for those struggling with diet adherence and weight loss. “One way that they do this is through dampening the activity of cells that govern hunger. This is particularly important because one of the primary challenges to sticking with a diet and losing weight is hunger,” she explained. Professor Heisler also mentioned the relevance of this research to existing obesity medications, particularly liraglutide, which is commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes and chronic obesity, although often accompanied by side effects such as dizziness and nausea.
Notably, the research team found that activating these GABA cells in the brainstem could reduce food intake without causing nausea. “An interesting feature of these brainstem GABA cells is that the widely prescribed obesity medication liraglutide uses them to reduce food intake. We discovered that turning on these GABA cells reduces food intake without causing nausea, which is a common undesired side effect of liraglutide,” Professor Heisler said.
The discovery of the role of these GABA cells has opened up the possibility of creating new obesity medications targeting these specific neurons, potentially providing a solution for weight loss without the accompanying unpleasant side effects. As the obesity epidemic continues to pose a significant threat to global health, findings like these give hope for more effective and patient-friendly treatments.
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