Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by self-imposed starvation, an intense fear of weight gain, and a distorted body image, leading to life-threatening physical complications. Protheragen leverages cutting-edge insights into the pathogenesis of AN to pioneer targeted therapies and precision animal models, accelerating preclinical drug development. Our goal is to offer reliable and end-to-end support to streamline your therapeutic development journey.
Overview of Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder marked by relentless restriction of energy intake that leads to a significantly low body weight, an overpowering fear of weight gain despite emaciation, and a distorted perception of body shape or weight, often accompanied by endocrine disruption and medical complications affecting multiple organ systems. Anorexia nervosa affects up to 4% of women and approximately 0.3% of men at some point in their lives. The highest incidence rate is among adolescent girls, with an annual incidence of 20-80 new cases per 100,000 people.
Fig.1 The interplay between the major pathophysiological concepts of anorexia nervosa symptomatology. (Skowron K, et al., 2020)
Pathogenesis of Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
The pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN) arises from a complex interplay of genetic vulnerabilities affecting both psychological traits and metabolic regulation, which interact with environmental triggers to produce dysregulation in key neurocircuits. This results in altered reward processing, heightened cognitive control over food intake, and distorted body image perception, while adaptive endocrine changes to malnutrition create a self-perpetuating physiological state that maintains restrictive eating behaviors.
Fig.2 Main physiological effects of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin. (Gorwood P, et al., 2016)
Therapeutic Development for Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Current treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) remains challenging due to high relapse rates and limited pharmacological options, relying primarily on nutritional rehabilitation and psychotherapy while lacking approved medications targeting core pathophysiology.
| Drug Names | Mechanism of Action | Targets | NCT Number | Research Phase |
| RhIGF-1 | Recombinant form of endogenous IGF-1; acts as a key metabolic hormone and neurotrophic factor. Binds to and activates the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), which shares signaling pathways with the insulin receptor. | IGF-1 Receptor (IGF-1R) | NCT00516386 | Phase II |
Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research services. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.
Our Services
Recognizing the complexity of diagnosing and treating anorexia nervosa (AN), Protheragen is committed to building a team of experts to provide cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic development solutions. Our commitment lies in providing a variety of customized therapy development services to meet the diverse research needs of our customers. We also excel in generating precise disease models that are carefully engineered to replicate the unique features of AN.
Therapeutic Development Services
By Mechanism of Action
Disease Model Development Services
In Vitro Model Development
- Activity-Based Anorexia (ABA) Model
- Anx/anx Model
- HDAC4A778T Heterozygous Model
- D2-Cre BAC Transgenic Model
- 5-HT4 Receptor Overexpression Model
- Other Models
At Protheragen, we offer comprehensive pharmacodynamic (PD), pharmacokinetic (PK), and toxicology research services to support the development and regulatory approval of potential therapies for anorexia nervosa (AN). If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details and quotation information of related services.
References
- Skowron K, Kurnik-Łucka M, Dadański E, et al. Backstage of eating disorder—About the biological mechanisms behind the symptoms of anorexia nervosa[J]. Nutrients, 2020, 12(9): 2604.
- Gorwood P, Blanchet-Collet C, Chartrel N, et al. New insights in anorexia nervosa[J]. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2016, 10: 256.