New neurons, a recipe for obesity?

An elusive metabolic 'switch' that significantly decreases weight-gain and increases energy consumption in mice, even when fed a high-fat diet, has been uncovered.

If a similar mechanism is found in humans, these findings, published in Nature Neuroscience today, may present a new target for potential treatments aimed at combating diet-induced weight gain and obesity.

"We've identified a region within the mouse hypothalamus in which new neurons are generated in both the postnatal and adult period. Neurogenesis in this area is stimulated by a high-fat diet, and blocking neurogenesis in this region attenuated weight gain on high fat diet," said lead author Seth Blackshaw from the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S...