“戒嘴难”有解！《细胞》揭示大脑“饱腹开关”，加速瘦身新药研发

Core Viewpoint - Obesity has become a global public health issue, with over 890 million adults classified as obese, accounting for 13% of the total population. The rise in obesity is linked to lifestyle changes and has increased the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular issues. Traditional weight loss strategies of "eat less, move more" are often insufficient, leading to a growing interest in pharmacological interventions like the popular weight loss drug semaglutide, which suppresses appetite [7][12]. Group 1 - The World Health Organization reports that the number of obese adults has surpassed 890 million globally, representing 13% of the total population. This trend has been particularly pronounced over the past 40 years, with significant increases in countries like China [7]. - A new study published in the journal "Cell" reveals the discovery of a group of previously unknown neurons in the brains of mice that regulate appetite by sensing food intake and signaling when to stop eating through the secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK) [7][8]. - These neurons are located in the brainstem, a primitive and evolutionarily conserved area of the vertebrate brain, suggesting that similar mechanisms may exist in humans [8]. Group 2 - The newly discovered neurons differ fundamentally from previously known satiety-regulating neurons, as they can continuously track food information during digestion and integrate various hormonal signals to determine when to stop eating [8][10]. - In animal experiments, researchers used optogenetics to control the activity of these neurons, demonstrating that activating them led to slower eating and reduced food intake in mice [10]. - The study also found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs, can activate these neurons, while appetite-stimulating hormones decrease their activity, indicating their role in dynamically tracking the eating process [12].