Hormone and metabolic patterns in hypothalamus-like brain cells from people with anorexia nervosa

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Researchers will collect biological samples from premenopausal women with severe, enduring anorexia nervosa and from matched healthy female controls and derive hypothalamic-like neurons from those samples. They will expose these cells to key metabolic hormones and compare hormone responsiveness, cellular metabolism, gene expression profiles, and neuronal activity between groups. The work uses patient-derived cellular models and molecular and functional assays to identify neuroendocrine differences relevant to energy homeostasis. Results aim to link cell-level signatures to clinical features of anorexia nervosa and guide future hypothesis-driven therapeutic research.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

Female participants aged 18-45 years (premenopausal) Diagnosis of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (illness duration ≥7 years, with documented functional impairment and non-response to appropriate treatments) Current BMI ≤18.5 kg/m² or documented BMI ≤18.5 kg/m² within the past 12 months Ability to provide informed consent Sufficient proficiency in the study language (German)

For healthy controls:

Female participants aged 18-45 years BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m² No current or past diagnosis of eating disorders No major psychiatric disorder Ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Pregnancy or breastfeeding Severe medical comorbidities affecting metabolic or central nervous system function (e.g., uncontrolled endocrine, hepatic, renal, or cardiovascular diseases) Current psychosis or acute suicidality Current serious non-suicidal self-injury Substance dependence Use of medications that substantially alter metabolic or endocrine function (including high-dose systemic corticosteroids, hormonal contraceptives, or psychotropic medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, or anxiolytics) Positive status for HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), or hepatitis C (HCV) Intellectual disability impairing the ability to provide informed consent Insufficient proficiency in the study language

Where it's running

• Private Praxis, Prof. Dr. Med. Gabriella Milos
  Zurich, Switzerland Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Maria Consolata Miletta, PhD — University of Zurich
• Study coordinator: Maria Consolata Miletta, PhD
• Email: maria.miletta@uzh.ch
• Phone: +41(0)432533105

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Specialist Supportive Clinical Management for teens with anorexia or atypical anorexia

  This study tests a teen-focused SSCM approach to help 13-17 year-olds with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa when other treatments haven’t worked or can’t be used.

  Recruiting Karolinska Institutet · Stockholm · NCT07893145

• Identifying Signatures of Gut Interoception in Functional Dyspepsia and Anorexia Nervosa

  This study tests how the gut-brain connection works in people with functional dyspepsia or anorexia nervosa using brain imaging.

  Recruiting Massachusetts General Hospital · Boston, Massachusetts · NCT07772167

• Online FBT-DBT for Caregivers of Teens with Anorexia Nervosa

  This online program tests a combination of family-based and DBT skills to help caregivers of teens with anorexia nervosa manage stress and improve family support.

  Recruiting Shanghai Mental Health Center · Shanghai · NCT07734779

• Eating Disorder Dynamic Intervention

  A digital program is tested to help adults with eating disorders by sending real-time, personalized coping tips based on smartphone surveys and sensor data.

  Recruiting Trustees of Dartmouth College · Lebanon, New Hampshire · NCT07600671

• Narrative medicine workshops to support teens and young adults with anorexia nervosa (virtual)

  This program tests whether a six-week series of narrative medicine workshops can help 16–25-year-olds with anorexia nervosa express themselves, reflect, and build resilience.

  Recruiting University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, California · NCT07579442

• Cognitive evaluation for people with eating disorders

  This project tests whether thinking skills (like cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control) and automatic food-related attitudes differ among people aged 14–65 with ARFID, anorexia, or bulimia.

  Recruiting at 3 sites Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SpA · Pavia, PV and 2 other locations · NCT07478510

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.