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
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GLP-1-mediated targeting of inflammation corrects obesogenic memory in male mice
Stéphane Léon, Julie Benoit, Samantha Clark, Philippe Zizzari, Bin Yang, Isabelle Dugail, Fatiha Merabtene, Karine Clement, Louise Eygret, Nathalie Dupuy, Jean-Christophe Delpech, Moïra Rossitto, Matthias Mack, Thierry Lesté-Lasserre, Brian Finan, Daniela Cota, Carmelo Quarta.
Diabetes. 2025-04-11.
DOI: 10.2337/db24-1071 -
Engineered nasal bacteria: A new weapon against obesity?
Cristina Miralpeix, Daniela Cota.
Cell Host & Microbe. 2025-04-01. 33 (4) : 467-469.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2025.03.010 -
TGR5 receptors in SF1-expressing neurons of the ventromedial hypothalamus regulate glucose homeostasis
Philippe Zizzari, Ashley Castellanos-Jankiewicz, Selma Yagoub, Vincent Simon, Samantha Clark, Marlene Maître, Nathalie Dupuy, Thierry Leste-Lasserre, Delphine Gonzales, Kristina Schoonjans, Valérie S. Fénelon, Daniela Cota.
Molecular Metabolism. 2025-01-01. 91 : 102071.
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.102071 -
Gut Microbiota and Mycobiota Evolution Is Linked to Memory Improvement after Bariatric Surgery in Obese Patients: A Pilot Study
Raphaël Enaud, Sophie Cambos, Esther Viaud, Erwan Guichoux, Emilie Chancerel, Aline Marighetto, Nicole Etchamendy, Samantha Clark, Kamel Mohammedi, Daniela Cota, Laurence Delhaes, Blandine Gatta-Cherifi.
Nutrients. 2021-11-13. 13 (11) : 4061.
DOI: 10.3390/nu13114061 -
Functional heterogeneity of POMC neurons relies on mTORC1 signaling
Nicolas Saucisse, Wilfrid Mazier, Vincent Simon, Elke Binder, Caterina Catania, Luigi Bellocchio, Roman A. Romanov, Stéphane Léon, Isabelle Matias, Philippe Zizzari, Carmelo Quarta, Astrid Cannich, Kana Meece, Delphine Gonzales, Samantha Clark, Julia M. Becker, Giles S.H. Yeo, Xavier Fioramonti, Florian T. Merkle, Sharon L. Wardlaw, Tibor Harkany, Federico Massa, Giovanni Marsicano, Daniela Cota.
Cell Reports. 2021-10-01. 37 (2) : 109800.
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109800 -
POMC neuronal heterogeneity in energy balance and beyond: an integrated view
Carmelo Quarta, Marc Claret, Lori M. Zeltser, Kevin W. Williams, Giles S. H. Yeo, Matthias H. Tschöp, Sabrina Diano, Jens C. Brüning, Daniela Cota.
Nat Metab. 2021-02-25.
DOI: 10.1038/s42255-021-00345-3 -
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.
DOI: 10.2337/db20-0162 -
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.
DOI: 10.1038/s42255-018-0028-1 -
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.
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.08.005 -
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.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2015.07.007 -
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.
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.04.002 -
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.
DOI: 10.2337/db16-0586 -
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.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2015.07.007
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)
Camille Allard Allard (Associate professor)
David Passaro Passaro (chercheur invité)
Letizia Spataro Spataro (chercheur invité)
clément Torrent Torrent (chercheur invité)
Antoine Tabarin Tabarin (Professor - Hospital practitioner)
Blandine Cherifi-Gatta Cherifi-Gatta (Professor - Hospital practitioner)
Valérie Fenelon Fenelon (University Teacher- Researcher)
Carmelo Quarta Quarta (Researcher)
Camille Allard Allard (Associate professor)
David Passaro Passaro (chercheur invité)
Letizia Spataro Spataro (chercheur invité)
clément Torrent Torrent (chercheur invité)
Ingénieur(e)s, technicien(ne)s
Nathalie Dupuy
Dupuy
Philippe Zizzari Zizzari
Samantha James James
Vincent Simon Simon
Gabriella Adisurja Adisurja
Philippe Zizzari Zizzari
Samantha James James
Vincent Simon Simon
Gabriella Adisurja Adisurja
Post-doctorant(s)
Cristina Miralpeix
Miralpeix
Antonio Lopez Gambero Lopez Gambero
Sabrina Huwart Huwart
Dorothea Ziemens Ziemens
Antonio Lopez Gambero Lopez Gambero
Sabrina Huwart Huwart
Dorothea Ziemens Ziemens
Doctorant(s)
Thomas Lee
Lee
Victor Jouque Jouque
Adèle Buckenmeyer Buckenmeyer
Giulia Cutugno Cutugno
Evangelia Kyriakidou Kyriakidou
Jean-Charles Nicolas Nicolas
Victor Jouque Jouque
Adèle Buckenmeyer Buckenmeyer
Giulia Cutugno Cutugno
Evangelia Kyriakidou Kyriakidou
Jean-Charles Nicolas Nicolas
Neuropsychologist(s) and speech therapist(s)
Ingénieur(s) hospitalier(s) et ARC