University of Michigan
transporter (VGAT; blue) mRNA expression in the arcuate nucleus of a mouse. MC3R is
coexpressed in a high percentage of both AgRP and VGAT neurons in the arcuate nucleus, a
brain region that is known to control feeding in both mice and humans. Image credit: Michelle
Bedenbaugh, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Scientists have identified a potential drug target for treating obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, a condition for which no therapeutics are currently available.
In a new study scheduled to publish April 21 in Science Translational Medicine, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University pinpoints a protein called melanocortin 3 receptor (or MC3R) as an avenue for accessing the brain circuitry that controls the body’s energy balance and food intake.