Project Overview

Decades of research suggest that obesity is a brain disease. The brain regulates appetite, and when key pathways are disrupted, it can lead to excessive weight gain. This contributes to the classification of obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease rather than simply a result of lifestyle choices. Obesity affects millions of people, causing 48,000 to 66,000 deaths in Canada each year and costing the healthcare system up to $7.1 billion annually.

One of the most effective treatments for obesity is a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), which help regulate appetite and promote weight loss. However, despite their effectiveness, up to 50.3% of patients stop taking them within a year, largely due to side effects like nausea. This leaves many individuals without viable treatment options, increasing their risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions.

Our research aims to uncover how GLP-1RAs act on specific brain pathways to promote weight loss and why they cause unwanted side effects. We recently identified a group of neurons in a key brain region involved in appetite control that may play a crucial role in mediating both the benefits and side effects of these medications. By using advanced genetic and behavioral techniques, we aim to refine obesity treatments to enhance their effectiveness while reducing side effects.

This research could lead to the development of next-generation therapies that offer sustainable weight loss with fewer adverse effects. By uncovering how obesity medications target the brain, we hope that our research will inspire the development of treatments more effective, better tolerated, and accessible to more patients in need.

Principal Investigator

Alexandre Caron , Université Laval