New Study Links Weight Loss to Specific Brain Cells

In a significant breakthrough, researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered specific brain cells that mediate semaglutide’s weight loss effects while minimizing side effects. This could lead to better obesity treatments.

In a groundbreaking study, scientists at the University of Gothenburg have identified a specific group of nerve cells in the brain stem that control the appetite and weight-loss effects of semaglutide, a widely used obesity and type 2 diabetes drug. This discovery could herald a new era in obesity treatment by minimizing the drug’s side effects such as nausea.

The researchers set out to understand how semaglutide impacts the brain. Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1R agonists, known for effectively reducing food intake and body weight but often causing undesirable side effects.

“This suggests that these nerve cells control the beneficial effects of semaglutide. We have therefore identified a specific group of nerve cells that is necessary for the effects that semaglutide has on weight and appetite, but which does not appear to contribute to any significant extent to side effects such as nausea. If we can target the treatment there, we may be able to maintain the positive effects while reducing side effects,” first author Júlia Teixidor-Deulofeu, a doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy, said in a news release.

Published in the journal Cell Metabolism, the study revealed that the targeted nerve cells are located in the dorsal vagal complex of the brain.

The researchers were able to track which nerve cells were activated by the drug by conducting experiments on mice, leading them to the discovery that simulating the activation of these cells — without administering the drug itself — could induce similar effects of reduced food intake and weight loss.

“Semaglutide and other GLP-1R agonists are currently being prescribed to more and more people and are also being investigated for other potential indications such as substance use disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. It is important to understand how these drugs actually work. The better we understand this, the greater the opportunity we have to improve them,” added corresponding author, Linda Engström Ruud, a researcher who supervised Teixidor-Deulofeu and co-author Sebastian Blid Sköldheden, a doctoral student.

This new understanding not only opens the door to potentially more effective and tolerable obesity treatments but also enriches the scientific community’s knowledge of how the brain stem regulates energy balance. By targeting the beneficial nerve cells while avoiding the ones causing side effects, future drugs could offer a profoundly improved quality of life for patients struggling with obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Source: University of Gothenburg