# A stem cell–based approach to understanding the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa - URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/so329 - Language: en - Last updated: not specified - Page title: A stem cell–based approach to understanding the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa | WCP 2026 Summary > In patient-derived stem cell models, microglia from individuals with anorexia nervosa show reduced phagocytosis of hypothalamic synapses and fail to respond to… This page was translated automatically from Turkish. [Read the original](https://alisanburak.com/wcp-2026-posterler/so329) This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it. SO329 Brief Oral Poster PresentationEating DisordersExperimental cell model study # A stem cell–based approach to understanding the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa A STEM CELL-BASED APPROACH TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA Presenter: Ida A. Nilsson Country: Sweden Session: 3710 - PARALLEL SHORT ORAL POSTER SESSIONS: EATING DISORDERS Date: Fri, 25.09.2026 In patient-derived stem cell models, microglia from individuals with anorexia nervosa show reduced phagocytosis of hypothalamic synapses and fail to respond to GLP1 stimulation; this may contribute to the maintenance of a state of starvation. The study aimed to investigate whether genetic susceptibility to anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with hypothalamic microglial dysfunction and to identify drug targets for sustained refeeding and weight gain. AN has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, approximately 60% of its underlying susceptibility is attributed to genetic factors, and significant negative genetic correlations have been reported with various metabolic traits, including body mass index. The methods involved obtaining fibroblasts from skin biopsies and subsequently generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which were used to produce patient-derived microglia and hypothalamic and cortical neurons. Synapses isolated from these neurons were presented to microglia to assess phagocytic capacity and microglia-mediated synaptic pruning. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) was also used to compare AN and healthy control microglia both at baseline and after phagocytosis of hypothalamic synapses. AN microglia showed reduced phagocytosis of hypothalamic synapses; this difference was significant over the 12- to 18-hour observation period, whereas no such reduction was observed for cortical synapses. Unlike healthy microglia, the phagocytic capacity of AN microglia was unresponsive to GLP1 stimulation. RNAseq analyses revealed numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched biological pathways both at baseline and after engulfment of hypothalamic synapses (GO biological processes assessed using GSEA, indicating upregulation of processes associated with MHC classes I and II and downregulation of various metabolic processes). Overall, the findings indicate that aberrant communication between microglia and hypothalamic neurons plays a role in maintaining the state of starvation in AN and suggest that elucidating these interactions could identify new drug targets. [View the original poster](https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/659) How to cite this study APA 7: Nilsson, I. A., et al. (2026, September 25). A stem cell-based approach towards understanding the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa [Poster presentation]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026), Stockholm, Sweden. https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/659 Vancouver: Nilsson IA, et al. A stem cell-based approach towards understanding the neurobiology of anorexia nervosa [poster]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026); 2026 Sep 23-26; Stockholm, Sweden. Available from: https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/659 Author names and title formatting were generated automatically from the congress system; please check them against the original poster before use. ## On the same topic - [Ergen bir kız hastada anoreksiya nervoza için farkındalık temelli girişim: bir olgu sunumu](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0216) - [Ergenlerde yeme bozuklukları için genişletilmiş gerçeklik temelli müdahaleler: etkililik, kabul edilebilirlik, uyum ve güvenlilik üzerine bir kapsam derlemesi](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0227) - [Kadın paradigmasının ötesinde: ergen erkeklerde anoreksiya nervoza üzerine anlatısal derleme](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0247) - [Izole zihinsel yetiyitimi olan okul öncesi çocuklarda ARFID nasıl görünür? otizm spektrum bozukluğu ile karşılaştırma](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0284) - [Klasik İslam tıbbında köpek ve sığır açlığı: ICD-10 anoreksiya nervoza ve bulimiya nervoza ile karşılaştırmalı bir analiz](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0302) [All WCP 2026 summaries](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler) --- Kaynak / Source: https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/so329 İletişim / Contact: Bağdat Caddesi, Veli Güneysu Apt. 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