Molecular bases of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: shedding light on the darkness

• Published in: Journal of neurogenetics Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 266 - 287
• Main Authors: Cuesto, Germán, Everaerts, Claude, León, Leticia G., Acebes, Angel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.10.2017
• Subjects: Eating disorders; Food and Nutrition; genetic approaches; Life Sciences; neuromodulators; pharmacology; neuromodulators; genetic approaches; Eating disorders; pharmacology; borderline personality-disorder; substance use disorders; randomized controlled-trial; cognitive-behavioral therapy; placebo-controlled trial; nucleus-accumbens shell; gene-environment interactions; regulate feeding-behavior; mesolimbic dopamine system; genome-wide association
• ISSN: 0167-7063; 1563-5260
• DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2017.1353092

Eating-disorders (EDs) consequences to human health are devastating, involving social, mental, emotional, physical and life-threatening aspects, concluding on impairment and death in cases of extreme anorexia nervosa. It also implies that people suffering an ED need to find psychiatric and psychological help as soon as possible to achieve a fully physical and emotional recovery. Unfortunately, to date, there is a crucial lack of efficient clinical treatment to these disorders. In this review, we present an overview concerning the actual pharmacological and psychological treatments, the knowledge of cells, circuits, neuropeptides, neuromodulators and hormones in the human brain- and other organs- underlying these disorders, the studies in animal models and, finally, the genetic approaches devoted to face this challenge. We will also discuss the need for new perspectives, avenues and strategies to be developed in order to pave the way to novel and more efficient therapeutics.