Sniffing out hunger: a nose-to-brain connection linked to appetite

Nerve cells with a direct connection from the olfactory bulb trigger a feeling of fullness

18-Jun-2025 - No more hunger after cooking? A newly identified network of nerve cells is responsible, a research group at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research has discovered in mice. They discovered a direct connection from the nose to a group of nerve cells in the brain that are activated by the ...

Newly identified group of nerve cells in the brain regulates bodyweight

Potential for novel obesity treatments

30-May-2025 - Obesity is a global health problem that affects many people. In recent years, very promising anti-obesity drugs have been developed. Despite these successes, there are patients who do not respond to these drugs or suffer from side effects. Therefore, there is still an unmet need for therapies. ...

Promising Parkinson's drug decoded

Foundation for the development of targeted therapies for Parkinson's disease and chronic kidney disease

07-May-2025 - How well our brain functions depends heavily on the performance of our nerve cells. That is why they are regularly checked for their proper function – defective cell components are marked, disposed of and recycled. This includes the mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells. Impaired quality ...

New regulatory protein of the neuronal cytoskeleton identified

28-Apr-2025 - The growth and function of nerve cells is based on a lattice-like structure called membrane-associated periodic skeleton (MPS). However, how the organization of the MPS is controlled has not been elucidated until now. A team from the Max Planck Institutes for Medical Research and for ...

How ibuprofen affects fat metabolism in the brain

Alzheimer's research: New in vitro laboratory study provides important insights

17-Apr-2025 - In a joint study, SRH University and Saarland University have found that the widely used painkiller ibuprofen affects the metabolism of certain fats in the brain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 55 million people worldwide are affected by dementia, a large proportion of ...

What drives our cravings for food and drink?

New research shines light on how the brain interprets nutritional and hydration needs and turns them into action

02-Apr-2025 - To ensure we get the calories and hydration we need, the brain relies on a complex network of cells, signals, and pathways to guide us when to eat, drink, or stop. Yet, much about how the brain deciphers the body’s needs and translates them into action remains unknown. Researchers from the Max ...

Frank Winkler receives the Brain Prize 2025

The interaction between the nervous system and cancer is increasingly coming into focus

07-Mar-2025 - This year, the Brain Prize, the most valuable research prize in the neurosciences and neuromedicine, worth more than one million euros, honors pioneering work on nervous system-cancer interactions: Neurologist Frank Winkler, who researches at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of the Heidelberg ...

Dessert stomach emerges in the brain

Nerve cells that tell to us we are full also make us crave sweets

20-Feb-2025 - Who hasn't been there? The big meal is over, you're full, but the craving for sweets remains. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne have now discovered that what we call the "dessert stomach" is rooted in the brain. The same nerve cells that make us feel ...

A molecular fountain of youth for the brain

Ageing processes in “mini-brains” observed for the first time

19-Feb-2025 - What happens in the brain as we age? Might it be at all possible to rejuvenate nerve cells? Seeking answers to these questions, an Innsbruck-based research group has succeeded for the first time in observing mini-brains age. As we get older, our brain ages along with us: we find learning new ...

Stressful childhood experiences accelerate brain aging

Early identification and prevention of dementia in later life

18-Feb-2025 - Stressful or traumatic experiences in childhood have been shown to negatively impact an individual’s health as an adult. Those affected face an increased risk of illness and often suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, and cardiovascular or metabolic diseases. Until now, little has been known ...