Targeting stress systems to boost how well weight-loss medicines work
Official title: Targeting stress axes to enhance the efficacy of weight loss therapeutics
Funded at Georgia State University · NIH-11391470 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how stress hormones interact with weight-loss drugs to make weight loss more effective and longer-lasting for adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $802,008 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK148119-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391470 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity who are considering or currently taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.
✕Less likely to help
If GLP-1 receptor agonists are not suitable or intolerable, this research may offer limited or no direct benefit.
What this research studies
If this project succeeds, it could help people who use GLP-1 weight-loss medicines keep the weight off and reduce muscle loss. Researchers will study how the body's stress system, especially CRF and the HPA axis, responds to these medications and how that affects fat and muscle tissue. The work will use human-relevant models and clinical data to identify mechanisms and potential combination strategies that improve treatment durability. Participants may be asked to contribute data or samples as part of translational studies, depending on the design. The goal is to translate these findings into approaches that patients can benefit from in real-world obesity care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A more effective and longer-lasting weight-loss treatment with fewer muscle-related side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows stress hormone systems influence weight loss; this project aims to build on that with potential new strategies.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgia State University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Krause, Eric Gerald — Georgia State University
- Study coordinator: Krause, Eric Gerald
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Predicting Weight Regain After Weight Loss Through Body Signals
A study with people who are losing weight will check how their body’s metabolism and appetite signals might influence if they regain weight later.
-
Engaging men in weight loss with a game-based mental training and app program
A game-based mobile program designed for American men to help them lose weight by combining engaging gaming features with brain training.
-
Simplifying dietary self-monitoring to boost weight loss success
A study tests a lighter, easier way to track food to help adults with overweight or obesity lose weight through a digital program.
-
Activin signaling in muscles, aging, and weight loss
Aims to understand how activin signals in muscle affect aging, weight loss, and daily function, especially in older adults.
-
How the brain drives overeating and weight loss with GLP-1 medications
Scientists are studying how brain circuits that control food seeking respond to obesity and weight loss with a GLP-1 drug, to understand why weight loss often doesn’t hold.
-
Off-Ramp Feasibility: finding better ways to taper GLP-1 obesity medicines without weight regain
A small, patient-friendly trial tests how to taper off GLP-1 obesity medicines without quickly regaining weight.
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.