Appetite for Discussion

That late-morning pang of hunger calling you to lunch seems like it comes from your rumbling stomach, but in fact stems from part of the brain called the dorsal vagal complex. Researchers interested in how cells in this area govern appetite and metabolism, and their role in conditions like anorexia and obesity, have created a detailed map of the region in both mice and rats. By analysing over 180,000 cells they identified both shared and species-specific features, which may help point to which factors are shared with humans. They discovered previously-unknown neuron types and support cells, and a population of cells specific to the rat dorsal vagal complex (pictured, with unique cells showing characteristics of both neurons (pink) and neuron precursors (green). This multi-species atlas could guide future research into metabolic conditions, eating disorders, and digestive health, pinpointing where potential therapeutic targets may lie.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Anthony Lewis

Writer

Ant was the web editor in the early days of BPoD, and has since worked with the UK’s top science organisations as a writer and multimedia producer. He now splits his time between freelance work and managing multimedia at The Lancet.

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• Image from work by Cecilia Hes and colleagues
• Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife, October 2025