Unlocking Energy Expenditure for Cardiometabolic Therapies

In this EASD TV interview, Prof. Zachary Gerhart-Hines (Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research), 61st EASD Minkowski Prize recipient, discusses research into the neurokinin-2 receptor (NK2R) and its potential to change how we approach weight management and metabolic health. Where many existing treatments focus on reducing food intake, NK2R activation could offer a complementary strategy by increasing energy expenditure, influencing appetite and improving insulin sensitivity.

The conversation explores why the quality of weight loss matters and why this could be important for older adults. Prof. Gerhart-Hines also explains how the pathway’s unexpected connections between fat tissue, the brain and the gut have shaped the research, and how potential NK2R-based therapies could eventually complement treatments such as GLP-1 receptor agonists and amylin-based therapies.