Whether we are starving or feel full is a state controlled by our brain, more precisely the hypothalamus. This small region in the center of our brain contains neurons, that release signals telling us whether we are hungry or satiated. Our goal is to establish a human brain model of appetite regulation to provide a platform for metabolism and obesity research.
Impact
Obesity affects 1 in 8 people worldwide and is connected to devastating comorbidities like cancer or cardiovascular diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that the cause is less excessive food intake but rather a dysregulation of energy homeostasis in the brain. A human model of these neural networks can shed light on appetite regulation and help develop and understand weight-lowering medication such as Wegovy.
reNEW research
Our group has developed a protocol to generate key hypothalamic neurons such as the hunger neurons AGRP and satiety-promoting POMC neurons. This stem cell-derived model allows us to both unravel their embryonic development in human and perform functional studies by treating the neurons with hormones and obesity drugs to record their functional response.
Image description
Human neurons releasing the satiety hormone aMSH (in red) to suppress appetite. The process of directing stem cells towards the fate of hypothalamic neurons takes 50 days. Then, the cells reach a maturity level where they fire action potentials and release hormones so we can investigate their role in energy homeostasis.
Credits
Anika K Mueller, PhD fellow, Agnete Kirkeby Lab, reNEW Copenhagen.
