Hunger Game Neurons

Hunger Game Neurons

Monica Imbernon

The anti-obesity drug Ozempic was designed to mimic the structure of the natural gut hormone GLP-1.

After its injection in patients with obesity, Ozempic acts in the brain, reducing food intake and promoting weight loss. One of the brain target areas is the hypothalamus (in the image), where Ozempic will act on weight-loss neurons (yellow) that express the GLP-1 receptor.

Research into how Ozempic acts is highly funded, helping to understand the role of the brain in the development of obesity and type-2 diabetes.