A new study has pinpointed brain neurons that separate the sensation of fullness from nausea in obesity drugs, paving the way for treatments that suppress appetite without causing adverse effects. The next chapter in the story of headline-making popular obesity drugs could focus on understanding the physical sensation of fullness after eating compared to the brain’s regulation of nausea. Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center have identified a group of neurons in the brain that manage food consumption without inducing nausea in animal models, distinguishing the beneficial aspects of these drugs from their side effects.
The study, published in the journal Nature , describes two distinct neural circuits that govern different effects of the same drug. The drugs studied are among the most effective weight-loss drugs available – known as long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists – which initiate neurochemical responses via receptors expressed in the body. One of the most effective and popular GLP1-based drugs – called semaglutide and marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy – produces impressive weight loss results in clinical trials.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2022, 1 in 8 people globally were living with obesity, making the development of drugs like these of dire importance. Activating GLP1 receptor-expressing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (magenta) increase sateity without causing nausea or aversion. Credit: Alisha A.
