The approach may result in a new way of dealing with eating disorders.
Using mouse models, the researchers showed that a group of nerve cells in the hypothalamus control the release of endogenous lysophospholipids, which in turn control the excitability of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex, which stimulate food intake.
Through intensive study, the researchers found that by inhibiting ATX in mice, they could control food cravings in the animals. In this process, the crucial step of the signaling pathway is controlled by the ATX, which is responsible for the production of lysophosphatidic acid in the brain as a modulator of network activity. The researchers, therefore, concluded that the administration of autotaxin inhibitors could possibly significantly reduce both excessive food intake after fasting and obesity in animals.
So far, any such efforts have largely failed. The new approach, however, shows promise for also helping in treating various neurological and psychiatric illnesses.