A single gene's effect on the brain can result in non-stop eating, research has shown. <\/p>\n
Scientists believe the \"gluttony gene\" may be responsible for cases of obesity caused by out-of-control appetite. <\/p>\n
The Bdnf gene variant was studied in mice. It was found to prevent brain neurons from transmitting signals that tell the body it has eaten enough. <\/p>\n
\"This discovery may open up novel strategies to help the brain control body weight,\" said lead researcher Dr Baoki Xu, from Georgetown University Medical Centre in the United States. <\/p>\n
Hunger and satiety, the sensation of \"feeling full\", are governed by a complex balance of hormonal and neuronal signals. <\/p>\n
Two hormones in particular, leptin and insulin, released in the body after a meal play a key role. <\/p>\n
Their chemical signals activate neurons in the hypothalamus region of the brain that trigger satiety. But if the connection is not made, the craving for food continues. <\/p>\n
\"Short\" versions of the Bdnf gene block the leptin and insulin signals and prevent the \"stop eating\" message passing through the brain to the correct appetite-suppressing locations, say the scientists. <\/p>\n
The research is reported in the journal Nature Medicine. <\/p>\n
Bdnf makes a protein that is synthesised in dendrites, the branch-like \"fingers\" that project from nerve cells. Dendrites carry the synapses that neurons use to communicate to each other. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\n'Gluttony gene' may explain out-of-control appetite<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"