How a brain receptor called MC4R may cause antipsychotic-related weight gain and diabetes
Official title: Hypothalamic MC4Rs and Antipsychotic Drug-Induced Metabolic Syndrome
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11289426 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether changes to a brain receptor called MC4R explain why people taking antipsychotic medications often gain weight and develop diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2017 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $485,635 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK114036-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11289426 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults taking antipsychotic drugs such as olanzapine or risperidone who are concerned about weight gain or metabolic changes are the most relevant patients for this research.
✕Less likely to help
People not taking antipsychotic medications or whose metabolic problems have other causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific work.
What this research studies
The team created mouse models that mimic the weight gain and metabolic problems caused by common antipsychotics (olanzapine and risperidone). They found that increased eating drives the weight gain and that antipsychotic treatment lowers Mc4r levels in the hypothalamus before weight rises. Electrophysiology experiments showed these drugs acutely inhibit MC4R-expressing neurons through a postsynaptic potassium conductance. The current work will dig deeper into how antipsychotics disrupt MC4R signaling in mice and test approaches that could point to ways to prevent these metabolic side effects in patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to strategies or treatments that prevent or reduce antipsychotic-related weight gain and diabetes risk for people on these medications.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked MC4R to appetite and obesity, and this project builds on new mouse model work that newly connects MC4R dysfunction to antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Chen — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Liu, Chen
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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.