Energy balance and obesity
Obesity represents a global epidemic lacking efficient therapeutic options. This highlights the insufficient knowledge of the biological mechanisms regulating energy balance and the absence of therapeutically relevant targets. The brain and in particular the hypothalamus plays a key role in the regulation of energy balance. Hence, the main scope of our research is to understand how exactly hypothalamic cells and circuits adapt and respond to energy availability in order to control food intake, body weight and peripheral metabolism. To reach this goal, we study energy-sensing mechanisms, such as the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and use an integrated approach spanning from the generation and in depth metabolic characterization of genetic animals models to the use of state-of-the-art neuroscience techniques for the investigation of the neuronal circuits of interest. In addition, we perform clinical research studies aimed at better characterizing obese phenotypes in humans, which will lead to better, personalized therapies.
Selected publications
- CB1 and GLP-1 Receptors Cross-Talk Provides New Therapies for Obesity. Philippe Zizzari, Rongjun He , Sarah Falk, Luigi Bellocchio, Camille Allard, Samantha Clark, Thierry Lesté-Lasserre, Giovanni Marsicano, Christoffer Clemmensen, Diego Perez-Tilve , Brian Finan, Daniela Cota, Carmelo Quarta.. Diabetes. 2020-10.
- Functional identity of hypothalamic melanocortin neurons depends on Tbx3. Carmelo Quarta , Alexandre Fisette, Yanjun Xu, Gustav Colldén, Beata Legutko, Yu-Ting Tseng, Alexander Reim, Michael Wierer, Maria Caterina De Rosa, Valentina Klaus, Rick Rausch, Vidhu V Thaker, Elisabeth Graf, Tim M Strom, Anne-Laure Poher, Tim Gruber, Ophélia Le Thuc, Alberto Cebrian-Serrano, Dhiraj Kabra, Luigi Bellocchio, Stephen C Woods, Gert O Pflugfelder, Rubén Nogueiras, Lori Zeltser, Ilona C Grunwald Kadow, Anne Moon, Cristina García-Cáceres, Matthias Mann, Mathias Treier, Claudia A Doege, Matthias H Tschöp.. Nature Metabolism. 2019-02. 1 : 222-235.
- mTORC1 and CB1 receptor signaling regulate excitatory glutamatergic inputs onto the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in response to energy availability. Wilfrid Mazier, Nicolas Saucisse, Vincent Simon, Astrid Cannich, Giovanni Marsicano, Federico Massa, Daniela Cota. Molecular Metabolism. 2019-10-01. 28 : 151-159.
- The Endocannabinoid System: Pivotal Orchestrator of Obesity and Metabolic Disease.. Mazier W, Saucisse N, Gatta-Cherifi B, Cota D.. Trends Endocrinol Metab.. . 26 (10) : 524-537.
- mTORC1-dependent increase in oxidative metabolism in POMC neurons regulates food intake and action of leptin.. Magalie Haissaguerre, Amandine Ferrière, Vincent Simon, Nicolas Saucisse, Nathalie Dupuy, Caroline André, Samantha Clark, Omar Guzman-Quevedo, Antoine Tabarin, Daniela Cota. Molecular Metabolism. 2018-06-01. 12 : 98-106.
- mTORC1 pathway disruption abrogates the effects of the ciliary neurotrophic factor on energy balance and hypothalamic neuroinflammation.. Caroline André, Caterina Catania, Julie Remus-Borel, Elodie Ladeveze, Thierry Leste-Lasserre, Wilfrid Mazier, Elke Binder, Delphine Gonzales, Samantha Clark, Omar Guzman-Quevedo, Djoher Nora Abrous, Sophie Layé, Daniela Cota. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2018-05-01. 70 : 325-334.
- Adipocyte cannabinoid receptor CB1 regulates energy homeostasis and alternatively activated macrophages.. Inigo Ruiz de Azua, Giacomo Mancini, Raj Kamal Srivastava, Alejandro Aparisi Rey, Pierre Cardinal, Laura Tedesco, Cristina Maria Zingaretti, Antonia Sassmann, Carmelo Quarta, Claudia Schwitter, Andrea Conrad, Nina Wettschureck, V. Kiran Vemuri, Alexandros Makriyannis, Jens Hartwig, Maria Mendez-Lago, Laura Bindila, Krisztina Monory, Antonio Giordano, Saverio Cinti, Giovanni Marsicano, Stefan Offermanns, Enzo Nisoli, Uberto Pagotto, Daniela Cota, Beat Lutz. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2017-10-16. 127 (11) : 4148-4162.
- Inhibiting Microglia Expansion Prevents Diet-Induced Hypothalamic and Peripheral Inflammation.. Caroline André, Omar Guzman-Quevedo, Charlotte Rey, Julie Rémus-Borel, Samantha Clark, Ashley Castellanos-Jankiewicz, Elodie Ladeveze, Thierry Leste-Lasserre, Agnes Nadjar, Djoher Nora Abrous, Sophie Laye, Daniela Cota. Diabetes. 2016-11-30. 66 (4) : 908-919.
- The Endocannabinoid System: Pivotal Orchestrator of Obesity and Metabolic Disease.. Wilfrid Mazier, Nicolas Saucisse, Blandine Gatta-Cherifi, Daniela Cota. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2015-10-01. 26 (10) : 524-537.
- CB1 cannabinoid receptor in SF1-expressing neurons of the ventromedial hypothalamus determines metabolic responses to diet and leptin.. Pierre Cardinal, Caroline André, Carmelo Quarta, Luigi Bellocchio, Samantha Clark, Melissa Elie, Thierry Leste-Lasserre, Marlene Maitre, Delphine Gonzales, Astrid Cannich, Uberto Pagotto, Giovanni Marsicano, Daniela Cota. Molecular Metabolism. 2014-10-01. 3 (7) : 705-716.
- Activation of the sympathetic nervous system mediates hypophagic and anxiety-like effects of CB₁ receptor blockade.. L. Bellocchio, E. Soria-Gomez, C. Quarta, M. Metna-Laurent, P. Cardinal, E. Binder, A. Cannich, A. Delamarre, M. Haring, M. Martin-Fontecha, D. Vega, T. Leste-Lasserre, D. Bartsch, K. Monory, B. Lutz, F. Chaouloff, U. Pagotto, M. Guzman, D. Cota, G. Marsicano. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2013-03-04. 110 (12) : 4786-4791.
- Simultaneous postprandial deregulation of the orexigenic endocannabinoid anandamide and the anorexigenic peptide YY in obesity.. B Gatta-Cherifi, I Matias, M Vallée, A Tabarin, G Marsicano, P V Piazza, D Cota. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2011-08-16. 36 (6) : 880-885.
Team leader
Team member(s)
Chercheurs, Praticiens hospitaliers...
Agnès Nadjar
Nadjar
(University Teacher- Researcher)
Antoine Tabarin Tabarin (Professor - Hospital practitioner)
Blandine Cherifi-Gatta Cherifi-Gatta (Professor - Hospital practitioner)
Valérie Fenelon Fenelon (University Teacher- Researcher)
Carmelo Quarta Quarta (Researcher)
Antoine Tabarin Tabarin (Professor - Hospital practitioner)
Blandine Cherifi-Gatta Cherifi-Gatta (Professor - Hospital practitioner)
Valérie Fenelon Fenelon (University Teacher- Researcher)
Carmelo Quarta Quarta (Researcher)
Ingénieur(e)s, technicien(ne)s
Post-doctorant(s)
Doctorant(s)