[Good Brain 2026] Hyungjin Choi of Seoul National University Hospital: "GLP-1 Opens New Possibilities for Treating Brain Disorders Beyond Obesity"

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"I believe GLP-1-based obesity drugs represent a partial success. While they do not treat the root cause, there is evidence that they are effective in treating conditions such as alcohol addiction. There is also a possibility that they could help improve dementia if administered from the early stages."

Hyungjin Choi, Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Anatomy at Seoul National University Hospital, made these remarks at the "2026 Good Brain Conference" held on September 3 at The Westin Chosun Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul. He said, "How and in which part of the brain GLP-1 acts to produce its effects remains largely a mystery." Professor Choi introduced the brain circuits involved in appetite control centered on GLP-1, and the potential for obesity drugs to be expanded into therapeutics for addictive and degenerative brain diseases. Hosted by The Asia Business Daily, this conference was held under the theme "Brain Revolution: The Future of Humanity Changed by GLP-1."

Hyungjin Choi, professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Anatomy at Seoul National University, attended the "2026 Good Brain Conference" held on the 3rd at the Westin Chosun Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, with the theme "Brain Revolution: The Future of Humanity Changed by GLP-1." He delivered a lecture titled "Clinical Feasibility and Commercialization Strategies of GLP-1 Based Degenerative Brain Disease Therapeutics." Photo by Jinhyung Kang

Professor Choi stated that obesity should be considered the result of a combination between the modern environment and the brain's reward system. He said, "Almost no one is unaware of the dangers of diabetes and hyperlipidemia, yet people keep eating," and added, "Continuing to do something you know is harmful to you is close to the definition of addiction." He went on to say, "In today’s world, with a wide range of addictions such as gaming, gambling, drugs, and social networking services (SNS), food has also become one of the most prominent objects of addiction."

He explained that the process involved in humans seeking food not only involves hunger, but also desire, pleasure, and learning. In particular, repeated food intake combined with stress can form an addictive circuit that triggers a strong craving even if the person does not particularly like the food itself. Professor Choi explained, "The brain calculates how much energy the body needs and decides what it wants to eat, and then creates the behavior of seeking out food. When you eat and have a positive outcome, the brain remembers it and prompts the same behavior again in the future."

GLP-1 is a hormone released after eating that increases the sense of satiety. The GLP-1-based drugs currently used as obesity treatments work by boosting this signal to suppress food intake. Professor Choi's research team, through studies involving both animals and humans, confirmed that GLP-1 does not merely create a feeling of fullness in the gastrointestinal tract, but also directly influences the brain circuits responsible for appetite regulation.

Professor Choi highlighted a particular experimental case in which activating the GLP-1 receptor neurons located in the hypothalamus immediately stopped the animals from eating. They also observed that after experiencing a specific food repeatedly, these neurons were activated in anticipation even before the food was actually consumed. In studies with humans, administration of GLP-1-based drugs resulted in an increased sense of fullness even before swallowing food.

Professor Choi believes these mechanisms could provide justification for extending the use of GLP-1 therapeutics from obesity to various brain disorders—most notably, addiction. He explained that food addiction is the result of changes in the brain’s desire and reward circuits caused by repeated exposure to stress or rewarding experiences. "Analysis of medical big data from patients using GLP-1-based drugs shows quite positive results for alcohol addiction, and we are also seeing encouraging signals with other types of addiction such as gambling," he stated.

Professor Hyungjin Choi of the Department of Anatomy at Seoul National University College of Medicine attended the '2026 Good Brain Conference' held on the 3rd at The Westin Chosun Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, themed 'Brain Revolution: The Future of Humanity Changed by GLP-1,' delivering a lecture titled 'Clinical Feasibility and Commercialization Strategy of GLP-1-Based Degenerative Brain Disease Therapeutics.' Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Retrospective medical big data studies have also consistently reported reduced risk and symptoms of dementia among patients treated with GLP-1-based therapeutics. There are also research findings suggesting that GLP-1 can influence immune cells, inflammatory responses, and the function of nerve cells and synapses. Professor Choi commented, "I believe there is a possibility that dementia and other brain disorders could be improved through mechanisms we do not yet fully understand."

He emphasized, "GLP-1 does not treat the underlying cause; it functions more as a drug that controls daily appetite without actually repairing the addiction circuits themselves. It’s comparable to how wearing glasses improves your vision temporarily, but when you take them off, your eyesight returns to how it was." He added, "If you stop taking the medication, your weight increases again, and as you lose weight, you lose muscle but regain fat when your weight rebounds. Going forward, what we need are not symptomatic treatments, but therapeutics that can fundamentally change the cause of the disease."

As a future task, he presented the goal of precision medicine to distinguish the different causes of obesity for each patient. Even within obesity, the reasons may vary—some people are highly sensitive to external cues from food, others eat due to emotions, and some have a strong tendency toward food addiction—so different therapies need to be applied accordingly. He suggested, "We should not treat obesity as a single disease, but instead categorize the types according to their underlying causes and establish tailored treatment guidelines for each."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.