How fat tissue and the body's clock use gut nerves to control weight
Official title: Interaction between adipose tissue and central clock via the splanchnic nerve pathway for regulation of energy balance
Funded at Iowa City VA Medical Center · NIH-11247921 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how signals between fat, the body's internal clock, and gut nerves affect weight and metabolism for people with obesity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa City VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2020 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004774-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11247921 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity, including veterans and people considering weight-loss surgery or time-restricted eating approaches, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
People without excess weight or metabolic problems, or those needing immediate clinical treatment, are unlikely to see direct benefit from this basic-mechanism research.
What this research studies
The team will study how nerve signals from the gut connect the internal clocks in fat and brain to turn on heat production in fat. They will compare effects tied to bariatric surgery and to time-restricted eating, and examine what happens when the molecular clock in fat doesn't work. The work uses lab models and tissue analyses to track nerve activity and molecular clock markers that control energy use. Findings aim to explain why some treatments boost fat burning and why others fail when the fat's clock is disrupted.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new ways—behavioral or medical—to boost fat burning or time eating for better weight control.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies have shown that bariatric surgery and time-restricted feeding can increase nerve-driven fat thermogenesis, but effects are inconsistent when the fat tissue clock is missing.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa City VA Medical Center
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mokadem, Mohamad — Iowa City VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mokadem, Mohamad
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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.