A team of researchers from Columbia University (New York) has identified in the brains of mice the neurons responsible for regulating the process of satiety, that is, those that signal when to stop eating. These neurons could be key to developing new treatments for obesity, according to the authors of the study published in the scientific journal Cell.
The neurons involved in the sensation of satiety were located in the brainstem of the mice, a part of the brain present in all vertebrates, including humans. Scientists believe this finding could have implications for better understanding how the sensation of being full occurs and how it can be used to regulate the amount of food consumed.
"We believe we have opened a new door to better understand satiety, how it occurs, and how it is utilized to finish a meal," says Alexander Nectow, one of the medical researchers at Columbia University. Although the study was conducted in mice, Nectow highlights that the location of these neurons in the brainstem suggests that humans are likely to have the same neurons.
The researchers observed that the intensity with which these neurons were activated determined how quickly the mice stopped eating. Furthermore, they discovered that these neurons could be influenced by other feeding circuits and hormones, suggesting that they may play a key role in regulating appetite and the sensation of fullness.
To study the functioning of these neurons in detail, the researchers analyzed their molecular profile and conducted experiments to modify their activity. They observed that when the neurons were activated with light, the mice significantly reduced the amount of food they consumed. These findings could be useful in the development of therapies against obesity, emphasize the scientists from Columbia University.
