The prevalence of overweight and obesity, particularly among children and adolescents, is increasing at an alarming rate. People who are overweight or obese run an increased risk of developing health problems later in life such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, or even certain cancers, which lead to disability and premature death.
Our team is part of the OBELISK European network (Horizon Europe) for the prevention of obesity, particularly childhood obesity, launched in May 2023, bringing together 14 research teams in 10 European countries and starting a five-year collaboration. Within the consortium, our team's project will involve identifying new genes linked to obesity, with a particular focus on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), providing an opportunity to develop new drug treatments. GPCRs are part of a large family of receptors with great therapeutic potential, being the targets of more than a third of existing drugs. Currently, two of them, GLP1R and MC4R, are specifically targeted by promising new anti-obesity medications. A second objective of this project will be to establish a prediction algorithm capable of assessing the functional impact of mutations in the obesity-related GPCR found in humans. The findings of this project could thus accelerate the development of personalized medical approaches.
Collaboration: 14 partners of OBELISK consortium (coordinated by INSERM, Pr P Froguel and Dr A Bonnefond) from universities, research institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises from across 10 European countries
See also: https://obeliskproject.eu/
Membres du projet
Financements
