New research on rats suggests that restoring the levels of fatty acid in a special region of the brain might treat obesity, a growing worldwide health concern.

In a study published online Sunday in the journal Nature Neuroscience, scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City effectively removed a key compound found in the hypothalamus both of rats and people.

Among many other tasks, the hypothalamus regulates metabolism and the urge to nibble, using information about the body’s state that comes from hormones and nutrients.

The researchers dramatically reduced the level of a key chemical in the biochemical pathway which makes fatty acids, called malonyl-CoA.

They did this by injecting a bioengineered virus in the rats’ brains. The virus contained instructions for the assembly of an enzyme which “eats up” malonyl-CoA. Low levels of this chemical drove the animals to eat a lot.

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