Lac-Phe and brain signals that curb appetite in obesity
Official title: Neurobiology for Lac-Phe Hypophagia
Funded at University of South Florida · NIH-11402433 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how a blood molecule called Lac-Phe, boosted by exercise, helps reduce appetite and body fat by acting on brain cells in adults with obesity-related diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | August 25, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $623,224 |
| NIH project number | 7R01DK136479-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402433 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with or at risk for obesity-related diabetes who could later participate in appetite or metabolic studies.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without obesity-related metabolic concerns may see limited direct benefit from this line of research.
What this research studies
If you have adult-onset diabetes, this project looks at how Lac-Phe, a molecule that rises with intense exercise, might calm appetite by changing brain signals. Researchers will study how Lac-Phe affects specific hypothalamic neurons and their connections, using mouse models and cellular approaches to uncover the neural pathways involved. The goal is to learn whether this natural signal or its mimics could someday support weight management and metabolic health in people with obesity-related diabetes. This work could clarify how exercise communicates with the brain to reduce food intake and improve glucose tolerance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide new strategies to safely support weight loss and glucose control in adults with obesity and diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies showed Lac-Phe can reduce feeding and body fat in mice, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Florida
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Yong — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Xu, Yong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how cell signals control heart development in Down syndrome
Scientists are studying why many babies with Down syndrome have heart defects and how interrupting specific signals in heart cells might prevent or lessen these problems.
-
Multi-agent AI to annotate enzymes in the human gut microbiome
A team at a major university will build an AI system that automatically curates and labels the functions of enzymes in the human gut microbiome to speed up understanding their health effects.
-
P7C3-based small molecule to help the heart restore NAD+ and function
A promising new approach aims to use P7C3-like small molecules to boost NAD+ in heart cells so people with heart failure could experience improved heart energy and function.
-
Self-supervised deep learning for biological sequences
A deep learning project uses self-supervised methods to better understand biological sequences and related data, with the goal of advancing biology and medicine.
-
Environmental factors and early autoimmunity leading to type 1 diabetes in youth (TEDDY NCC2 follow-up)
Researchers continue a long-running study to understand environmental triggers that start autoimmunity and progress to type 1 diabetes in children aged 6–15.
-
T Lymphopenia After a Heart Attack: Could Restoring T Cells Help Your Heart Heal
A study at the University of South Florida aims to understand why certain immune cells called CD4+ T cells drop after a heart attack and whether boosting them could improve heart recovery.
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.