Newswise — DALLAS – June 13, 2024 – Mysterious cells that secrete hormones in the large intestine play a key role in regulating body weight through their relationship with intestinal bacteria, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers suggests. Their findings, published in Nature Metabolism , could lead to new treatments for obesity and extreme weight loss. “This work provides a new understanding of the complex metabolic interplay between bacteria and the host, shedding light on novel mechanisms that control appetite and body weight,” said Ezra Burstein, M.
D., Ph.D.
, Professor of Internal Medicine and Chief of the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases at UT Southwestern. Dr. Burstein co-led the study with UTSW colleagues Luis Sifuentes-Dominguez, M.
D. , Assistant Professor of Pediatrics , and Shuai Tan, Ph.D.
, Research Scientist. For about a century, scientists have known that the lining of the intestines contains hormone-producing cells known as enteroendocrine cells (EECs). In the small intestine, EECs sense nutrients passing through the organ and secrete hormones that control digestion and absorption.
However, since the large intestine is thought to mostly absorb water and salt, the role of EECs there has been unclear. To investigate, the UTSW researchers used a targeted genetic technique to prevent this type of cell from developing in the large intestine, also known as the colon, of lab mice. As these animals grew into adulthood, they gradual.
