The recent discovery of a hormone spike linked to anorexia nervosa has sparked excitement in the scientific community, offering a glimmer of hope for those struggling with this devastating disorder. While doctors can help patients regain nutrients and energy, and psychologists can reshape underlying thought patterns, the high relapse rates among hospitalized patients remain a pressing concern. This new research, presented by neuroscientist Virginie Tolle at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum 2026, suggests a potential link between the hormones ghrelin and LEAP2, and the challenging nature of anorexia nervosa recovery.
Tolle's research, published in Translational Psychiatry, focused on 30 women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, aged 18 to 60, who were undergoing refeeding treatment at a specialized eating disorders center. The study revealed that these patients had approximately 20% higher levels of LEAP2 when first hospitalized, compared to their levels after four months of treatment, during which they regained weight. As an antagonist of ghrelin, LEAP2 counteracts the body's natural hunger signals, and this imbalance may be key to understanding the disorder's persistence.
The study's findings were further supported by experiments on mice that had lost a quarter of their body weight. These mice, when offered a choice between an immediate, small food reward and a larger meal if they could wait, became more impulsive. This behavior, partially subsided with refeeding, but higher LEAP2 levels strongly correlated with persistent impulsive behaviors. These results suggest that the ghrelin/LEAP2 imbalance may contribute to the dangerous relapse cycles that make anorexia nervosa so difficult to overcome.
The implications of this research are far-reaching. If the findings can be replicated in a larger human sample, blood tests for this biomarker could potentially identify those at risk of relapse before it occurs. This could pave the way for the development of much-needed pharmacological treatments to catalyze the shift towards full recovery. Tolle emphasizes the potential of LEAP2 as a target for new therapeutic strategies and a biomarker for monitoring patient progress, offering a glimmer of hope for the future of anorexia nervosa treatment.
