The endocannabinoid system, including specific cannabinoid receptors, endogenous ligands and specific synthetic and degradation pathways, has been implicated in the regulation of energy balance and represents a potential target for the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic disorders.
Here I detail some of the functions of this system in particular by taking advantage of the use and the characterization of novel conditional knockout mice lacking the cannabinoid type 1(CB1) receptor in specific neuronal populations or peripheral tissues. The use of this tool has allowed us dissecting the cell- and tissue-specific function of the ECS in the context of the regulation of energy balance and of the development of obesity and metabolic disease.
Dr. Cota received her M.D. from University of Bologna in Italy and acquired the specialization in Endocrinology and Metabolic Disorders from the same university. In 2001 she accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry in Munich. From 2004 to 2007 she expanded her independent research experience as postdoctoral fellow at University of Cincinnati in the USA. In 2008 she established her own research group "Energy balance and obesity" at INSERM U862, NeuroCentre Magendie, University of Bordeaux in France. One year later she was appointed the Deputy Director of NeuroCentre Magendie.
The CBBM-Lecture will take place on March 3, 2015 from 17:15 to 18:15 hours in Hörsaal H1, Turmgebäude.
Host: Prof. Hendrik Lehnert
Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism
University of Lübeck
