New ‘Google map’ of the brain reveals the route to weight loss, says expert

Researchers have created a remarkable new map of a key part of our brain, the hypothalamus, that will lead to new ways of controlling our weight, appetite, sleep and stress levels. Health and wellness experts Rio.life say the new HYPOMAP provides a route to tailoring popular weight loss drugs such as Weygovy to individual needs.

Researchers have devised the most detailed map yet of a key part of our brain, the hypothalamus. Our hypothalamus controls everything from our body weight and appetite to how we handle stress. The new HYPOMAP is already giving scientists major new insights into weight loss treatments, says the pioneering new health-tech platform Rio.life.

The new HYPOMAP was revealed this week in the leading international journal Nature and the study’s senior author, Professor Giles Yeo, Chair of Rio.life’s Scientific Advisory Board, says it is already giving us more accurate knowledge into how weight loss drugs such as Weygovy (Ozempic/semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) actually work.

Professor Yeo, who is based at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, says: 'This is a game-changer for understanding the human hypothalamus. HYPOMAP confirms the critical role of the hypothalamus in body-weight regulation and has already allowed us to identify new genes linked to obesity. It gives us a roadmap to develop more effective, specific therapies.'

Professor Yeo, who is also a well-known broadcaster thanks to his appearances on programmes such as BBC’s ‘Horizon’ and ‘Trust me, I’m a Doctor’, continues: ‘The good news is that, unlike many areas of health research, this new “atlas” of the hypothalamus will have an impact on treatments for conditions such as obesity in the very near future. Understanding how the hypothalamus changes in people who are overweight fundamentally shifts our approach to metabolic health and will enable more personalised therapies.’

Explains Professor Yeo: ‘Astonishingly, our understanding of the way the hypothalamus works was, until now, largely derived from functional studies in mice. Unsurprisingly, our new HYPOMAP has revealed that popular weight-loss drugs like semaglutide (more well known to the public by the trade name Weygovy or Ozempic) work very differently on mice than they do on human brains. Our map reveals critical differences between how a mouse’s hypothalamus and a human’s hypothalamus function. The HYPOMAP reveals that understanding how receptors function specifically in the human hypothalamus is critical for designing safer and more effective treatments.

‘HYPOMAP acts like a “Google Maps” for the hypothalamus, allowing researchers to pinpoint specific cell types, understand their genetic profiles, and explore how they interact with neighbouring cells.’

Jaie Genadt, CEO of Rio.life, shares the company's excitement about the potential of this research. ‘This study validates our vision and commitment to developing effective interventions through personalised health solutions,’ says Genadt. 'Our commitment is to improving health by turning cutting-edge research into practical, empowering solutions that make a difference in the lives of our customers.'

Rio.life’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Quinton Fivelman PhD, says Rio is currently building on this research to create a new personalised weight loss treatment plan, tailored for humans, not mice... ‘Rio’s "Transformer" plan will combine a course of Wegovy or Mounjaro treatment with individually tailored diet monitoring and healthcare plans supported by our cutting-edge technology to achieve lasting weight loss and health improvement.

‘Currently, as research published recently in The Lancet highlights, many people who have used weight loss drugs such as Weygovy put the weight back on after ending treatment – the so called “Ozempic rebound”. Fortunately, studies show that providing healthy lifestyle support such as supervised exercise and improved diet during treatment is likely to improve healthy weight maintenance for people after they stop taking the drug. This leads to both significantly better short-term and long-term outcomes, compared to stopping treatments without individual support.

‘By combining behavioural science, wearables, AI technology and the latest in pharmacology and supplements, Rio is using remarkable new research such as the HYPOMAP to develop individual weight loss programs and other healthcare treatments that will stick.

‘Rio’s new Transformer programme will also feed into other treatments becoming available, including Personalised Food Scoring. People can discover how their body responds to different foods, exercise, sleep and stress with Rio’s AI-powered scoring system, integrating blood and genetic testing, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data and wearable ring insights.

‘Our aim is that Rio’s advanced platform will help everyone reach their wellness and weight loss goals as effortlessly as possible. For more information on how Rio.life’s technology can help you learn more about how your food and lifestyle impacts your health, see: https://www.rio.life/