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In a breakthrough study, UT Southwestern Medical Center  scientists discovered a
liver hormone that can bring down your longing for sweets and alcohol through the brain's "reward pathway".

Called the fibroblast growth factor 21 or FGF21, the hormone is linked to environmental stress, which includes
excessive dietary changes or cold temperature exposure. It is produced when mammals partake a lot of
carbohydrates.

Research has also shown that the hormone's unique effects could be effective in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.

"Our findings raise the possibility that FGF21 administration could affect nutrient preference and other
reward behaviors in humans, and that the hormone could potentially be used to treat alcoholism," said Dr.
Kliewer, who holds the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Distinguished Chair in Basic Cancer Research.

Dopamine is important for "reward behaviour". In their experiment, researchers found that mice that showed
"elevated levels of FGF21" displayed a lower inclination for sweeteners and alcohol-laced water. It reduced
the level of dopamine in the subjects. As the hormone FGF21 used to act through a brain pathway, scientists found that FGF21 requires the co-receptor β-Klotho too. However, as soon as the FGF21 levels were increased in mice, the taste preference vanished if the mice were genetically not able to make β-Klotho in the central nervous system.

"The finding that FGF21 acts via the brain was completely unexpected when we started down this path of
investigation a dozen years ago," Dr. Kliewer said. "These findings suggest that additional studies are
warranted to assess the effects of FGF21 on sweet and alcohol preference and other reward behavior in humans."

The study is published in the journal Cell Metabolism.