8legs: Matthew j. potthoff

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Scientists discover natural hormone that reverses obesity

FGF21, a natural hormone, reverses obesity in mice by activating a specific hindbrain circuit that drives energy burning.
FGF21 signals to the hindbrain, especially the NTS and area postrema, which then communicate with the parabrachial nucleus to affect metabolism.
Unlike GLP-1 drugs, FGF21 increases metabolic activity to burn energy rather than suppress appetite.
The research identifies a potential pathway for developing obesity and fatty liver disease therapies with fewer side effects.
Study authors caution that FGF21 analogues can have side effects like gastrointestinal issues and bone loss.
The findings appeared in Cell Reports, outlining a parabrachial-projecting neuron population in the hindbrain.
Lead researcher Matthew Potthoff notes the hindbrain circuit is central to the hormone’s weight-reducing effects.
Researchers aim to explore whether this circuit also mediates FGF21’s reversal of fatty liver disease (MASH).
The work was conducted by the University of Oklahoma and published in Cell Reports.
The study signals a potential path toward new obesity and fatty liver therapies in humans.

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