Overview

• IRB Barcelona led the study published in Nature Communications with collaborators from CNRS, Karolinska Institutet and the University of Houston.
• Using a viral vector, researchers drove neuritin 1 overexpression specifically in thermogenic brown fat cells.
• Mice showed higher energy expenditure without changes in food intake or activity, limiting fat accumulation.
• The intervention reduced weight gain, improved insulin sensitivity and lowered liver inflammation even on high-calorie diets.
• Neuritin 1 activates mitochondrial function and thermogenic gene expression, offering a mechanism distinct from appetite-suppressing GLP-1 drugs, and human genetic data suggest relevance though further safety and efficacy studies are needed.