ANO4's effect on appetite, weight, and blood sugar
Official title: Ano4 and Metabolic Health
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11195119 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether changes in the ANO4 gene and its brain channel influence appetite, body weight, and blood sugar for people with obesity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $508,718 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK139583-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195119 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with obesity or a high BMI who are interested in future therapies targeting brain appetite circuits would be the most relevant group.
✕Less likely to help
People without weight or blood sugar issues, or those seeking immediate clinical treatments, are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
Researchers will study Ano4-expressing neurons in the area postrema, a brain region involved in feeding, using mouse models. They will activate and silence those neurons and track food intake, body weight, behavior, and blood glucose over time. The team will use CRISPR/Cas9 to delete Ano4 specifically in those neurons and will create mice carrying a human ANO4 mutation linked to obesity to see if it causes weight and metabolic changes. Together these approaches aim to connect a human genetic signal to a clear brain mechanism that could guide future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could reveal a new brain target for treatments that help control appetite, body weight, and blood sugar.
How similar studies have gone: Early mouse work shows activating APAno4 neurons increases eating and blood glucose, but translating these findings into human therapies has not yet been achieved.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Yong — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Xu, Yong
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.