The Obese Taste Bud Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 210
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Identification of differential gene and protein regulation in isolated human taste cells between lean and obese subjects
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The sense of taste is essential for priming food preferences and is therefore important for caloric uptake and body weight regulation. Recent studies show that obesity is linked to changes in taste sensation but also to a loss of taste buds on the tongue. This study aims to evaluate underlying mechanisms within the taste buds to potentially influence the sense of taste on the level of these sensory cells and in order to develop new treatment strategies to fight obesity.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Observational
- Observational Model
- Case Control
- Time Perspective
- Prospective
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 69 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9)
- •obesity (BMI >=30)
- •overall healthy (no severe sickness, no cancer)
- •written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
- •current pregnancy or currently breastfeeding
- •cancer or tumors
- •state after radiotherapy at head-neck area
- •state after or current chemotherapy
- •severe psychiatric-, cardiac-, kidney- or neurological illness
- •diagnosed diabetes mellitus
- •known dysfunction of smelling or tasting
- •drug or alcohol abuse
- •permanent medication with antidepressants, anticonvulsants, steroids and/or immunosuppressants
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Identification of differential gene and protein regulation in isolated human taste cells between lean and obese subjects
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 2 years
Transcriptomics (RNAsequencing (seq), single cell seq) and epigenomics (open chromatin mapping (ATACseq), Infinium MethylationEPIC Array) will be performed in isolated papillae fungiformes. Validation analyses by in vitro primary cell cultures of taste cell biopsy
Identification of correlations between taste cell biology with parameters of intervention
Time Frame: 1 year
corrleation analyses will include factors of eating behavior, food preferences, life style factors, data from taste and smell screenings, anthropometric data, blood and saliva parameters
Secondary Outcomes
- Differences of salivary and tongue microbiome on taste cells in obesity in contrast to lean(2 years)
- extracellular vesicle analyses of saliva in lean and obese subjects(2 years)
Investigators
Imke Schamarek
Clinician Scientist
University of Leipzig