Karolina Skibicka

Project summary

Obesity and oestrogen

Karolina Skibicka aims to understand the mechanisms in the nervous system that regulate appetite and how these differ between women and men. One signal in particular, GLP-1, is considerably more effective at reducing food intake in women. She is exploring the interaction between GLP-1 and the female sex hormone oestrogen to determine whether it can be used to develop effective treatments for obesity.

 

Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, and there is a considerable need for effective treatments. Obesity affects both men and women, yet almost all scientific studies seeking to clarify the relationship between overeating and increased body weight have been conducted in males. This is a problem because women and men may detect and respond differently to signals that control eating. We believe that understanding these differences may be essential for identifying new and effective treatments for obesity. Ignoring them may already have led to potentially effective pharmacological treatments for women being dismissed.

 

Our research aims to provide insight into the mechanisms in the nervous system that underlie appetite regulation and overeating. Our research data indicate that female and male brains respond differently to appetite-reducing signals from the gastrointestinal system. One signal in particular, GLP-1, is considerably more effective at reducing food intake in women. Our hypothesis is that this is because its appetite-suppressing effect is enhanced by oestrogen, which is generally present at higher levels in women than in men. Our studies will explore this interaction and determine whether it can be used to develop an effective appetite-reducing treatment for obesity.