Scientists Have Identified Two Ways To Influence The Brain To Promote Weight Loss
- 23.08.2026, 14:42
Researchers conducted a successful study on mice.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified two ways of influencing the brain that may help with weight loss. A study in mice showed that activating and blocking the same receptor—GIPR—produce similar results but act through different parts of the brain. The study was published in the journal Nature Metabolism.
The researchers investigated the role of GIPR—the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor—which is involved in regulating appetite and metabolism. The scientists used genetically modified mice that lacked this receptor in specific areas of the brain.
It turned out that drugs that activate GIPR primarily affect the brainstem. Activating the receptor in this region reduced appetite and led to weight loss.
Blocking the same receptor had a different effect. In this case, another region of the brain—the hypothalamus—proved to be key. According to the researchers, the GIPR in the hypothalamus acts as a sort of “brake” that limits the brain’s response to satiety signals. Blocking it allows satiety signals to have a stronger effect, which also contributes to reduced food intake and body weight.
The researchers found that blocking GIPR can enhance the effect of other drugs used to treat obesity, including those that act on GLP-1 receptors. This principle is already being used in some drugs currently in development, although the efficacy and safety of such combinations have yet to be confirmed in clinical trials.
The authors note that the results help provide a better understanding of the mechanism of action of modern weight-loss drugs. In their view, targeting different parts of brain circuits may, in the future, allow for the development of more effective drug combinations and lead to greater weight loss with fewer side effects.
However, the study was conducted on mice, so it is not yet known whether the mechanisms identified will work the same way in humans.