New Delhi, May 24
Swedish researchers have tracked how nerve cells get activated by weight loss drugs such as semaglutide and how it affects the brain.
Semaglutide belongs to a group of drugs called GLP-1R agonists and has been shown to effectively reduce food intake and body weight. The drug is already well established as part of the treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes but can cause side effects such as nausea and muscle loss.
In the study, researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg showed that it is possible to distinguish the nerve cells in the brain that control the beneficial effects --such as reduced food intake and fat loss -- from those that contribute to side effects.
To investigate how semaglutide affects the brain, the researchers worked with mice. They tracked which nerve cells were activated by the drug and were then able to stimulate these cells—without administering the drug itself.
The results, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, revealed that the mice ate less and lost weight, just as they did when treated with semaglutide.
When these nerve cells were killed, the drug's effect on appetite and fat loss instead decreased significantly. However, side effects such as nausea and muscle loss remained.