# Dissecting Viscerosensory Pathways Controlling Feeding Behavior

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $149,569

## Abstract

Project Summary
Obesity continues to be a major health crisis, afflicting populations worldwide with comorbidities that include
type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This has stimulated research of neural circuits regulating energy
balance, and technological advances have allowed for the dissection of genetically-defined brain circuits
controlling feeding behavior and physiology. Studies have revealed complex central circuits, which ultimately
exist for integrating endocrine and peripheral sensory signals. The vagus nerve is a critical sensory pathway
for the control of meal termination and is the only direct neural link between the gut and brain. Vagal sensory
afferents innervate the gastrointestinal tract and inform the brain of the quantity and quality of food being
consumed. Similar to other neural systems, the vagus nerve contains heterogeneous neuronal populations that
have discrete connections and perform specialized functions. However, most of what is known about the vagus
and behavior comes from non-specific surgical and chemical ablation studies that do not provide mechanistic
insight about distinct neuronal populations. Hence, little is known regarding primary sensory signals directly
related to satiation, and research in this area is imperative for understanding the central organization and
regulation of energy homeostasis. Studies in this proposal will utilize state-of-the-art wireless technology and
viral/transgenic techniques to manipulate genetically defined vagal afferent neurons innervating the stomach.
We will examine the relative roles of distinct gastric vagal afferent neurons in the control of food intake, which
could potentially lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for the safe and effective treatment of
obesity.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10226798
- **Project number:** 5K01DK124245-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Carlos A Campos
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $149,569
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10226798

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10226798, Dissecting Viscerosensory Pathways Controlling Feeding Behavior (5K01DK124245-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10226798. Licensed CC0.

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