2023-09-03 10:45:09
South Korean neuroscientists studying brain cells have made an important discovery in the regulation of metabolism, which will make it possible to realize the long-held dream of mankind – to eat as much as you like and lose weight. Moreover, scientists have successfully tested an experimental drug that has proven effective in experiments on mice.
The hypothalamus is responsible for the balance between food intake and energy expenditure in the body. It is known to science that neurons in the lateral hypothalamus are associated with adipose tissue and are involved in metabolism, their role in the regulation of fat metabolism remains a mystery. Scientists from the Institute of Basic Sciences have discovered a cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus that conduct targeted expression of a receptor for the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This aggregation is associated with the alpha-5 receptor derivative unit and has been named GABRA5.
In obese mouse models, the researchers observed a significant decrease in the activity of GABRA5 neurons. Further suppression of these neurons led to a decrease in heat generation (energy consumption) in brown fat tissues, which led to the accumulation of adipose tissue and weight gain. On the other hand, when GABRA5 neurons in the hypothalamus fired, the mice successfully lost weight. Thus, GABRA5 neurons serve as a weight control switch, informs Science Daily.
As scientists unexpectedly found out for themselves, astrocytes, neuroglial cells, are responsible for regulating the activity of GARBA5 neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. As the number and size of astrocytes increase, they start overexpressing the MAO-B enzyme, which plays an important role in the metabolism of neurotransmitters in the nervous system. This leads to the production of large amounts of GABA, which suppresses the surrounding GABRA5 neurons.
It has also been found that downregulation of MAO-B gene expression in astrocytes reduces GABA release, which reverses unwanted downregulation of GABRA5 neurons. This approach allows you to increase the release of heat in adipose tissues. In this case, obese mice begin to lose weight even when eating a high-calorie diet.
Biotech company Neurobiogen has already begun Phase 1 clinical trials of a selective MAO-B inhibitor, codenamed KDS2010. Promising results have been obtained.
Scientists from Australia have made an important discovery in the field of Piezo ion channels, which are responsible for the reaction to interaction with cell membranes. These channels are widely present throughout the human body, so the ability to control them offers a completely new approach in the treatment of many diseases. It is planned to start with obesity and osteoporosis.
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