Lab-Grown brain cells shed light on Anorexia's inner workings
NCT ID NCT07580209
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study takes a small blood sample from women with severe anorexia and healthy women, then turns those cells into brain-like neurons in a dish. Researchers will test how these neurons respond to hunger and fullness hormones. The goal is to uncover cellular differences that might explain why anorexia persists, without giving any treatment to participants.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal why the brain's hormone signaling goes wrong in anorexia, pointing toward future treatment targets.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small observational study with only 10 participants. It uses lab-grown cells, not real brains, so findings may not translate to actual patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2026
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Participants will be recruited from outpatient psychiatric practices specializing in eating disorders in Zurich, Switzerland. Individuals with anorexia nervosa will be identified by treating clinicians at participating sites, while healthy control participants will be recruited through the same clinical networks and local community outreach.
- Ages
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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Female participants aged 18-45 years (premenopausal) Diagnosis of severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (illness duration ≥7 years, with documented functional impairment and non-response to appropriate treatments) Current BMI ≤18.5 kg/m² or documented BMI ≤18.5 kg/m² within the past 12 months Ability to provide informed consent Sufficient proficiency in the study language (German) For healthy controls: Female participants aged 18-45 years BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m² No current or past diagnosis of eating disorders No major psychiatric disorder Ability to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: Pregnancy or breastfeeding Severe medical comorbidities affecting metabolic or central nervous system function (e.g., uncontrolled endocrine, hepatic, renal, or cardiovascular diseases) Current psychosis or acute suicidality Current serious non-suicidal self-injury Substance dependence Use of medications that substantially alter metabolic or endocrine function (including high-dose systemic corticosteroids, hormonal contraceptives, or psychotropic medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, or anxiolytics) Positive status for HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), or hepatitis C (HCV) Intellectual disability impairing the ability to provide informed consent Insufficient proficiency in the study language
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Private Praxis, Prof. Dr. Med. Gabriella Milos
RECRUITINGZurich, 8006, Switzerland
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a pudding snack reveal how the brain misreads the stomach?
- Could the gut microbiome hold clues to eating disorder recovery?
- Can a parent support group help teens with both autism and anorexia?
- Lab-Grown brain cells could unlock Anorexia's secrets
- Can science unlock the secrets of the naturally lean?