GeneticsINTERACTNCT07430852
Inherited and Environmental Risks Acting on Body Weight
A study testing Diet modification in people with Genetics and Obesity, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this research is to investigate genetic and environmental factors that contribute to obesity through brain inflammation. The main questions are 1) if identical twins, who differ in food consumption habits, have differences in adiposity markers and brain inflammation and 2) if signs of brain inflammation in… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 45 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- What is being tested?
- Diet modification
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 110 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Oct 2026to 30 Apr 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 45 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 20-45 years
- Differs in habitual diet from co-twin (study 1).
- Willing to undergo 7-day overfeeding and hypocaloric feeding periods (study 2)
- Member of the Washington State Twin Registry
Who cannot join
- History of bariatric surgery or active participation in weight-loss program
- Major medical or neurological disorder (e.g., diabetes, multiple sclerosis)
- Known gallbladder disease, anemia, impaired thyroid, kidney or liver function or hypertriglyceridemia (>350 mg/dl) (study 2)
- Current use of weight-loss medications or other medications known to alter appetite (e.g., atypical anti-psychotics)
- High levels of vigorous physical activity (>300 min./week)
- Pregnancy, menopause, or breastfeeding
Show all 16Show fewer
- Individuals with severe food allergies and dietary restrictions (e.g., vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free, others) (study 2)
- Co-twin unwilling or unable to participate
- MRI contraindication (e.g., implanted metal, claustrophobia)
- Lifetime eating disorder
- Current smoking or heavy alcohol use (≥ 2 drinks per day for females and ≥ 3 drinks per day for males)
- BMI > 45 kg/m2 (study 1)
- BMI > 35 kg/m2 (study 2)
- Weight > 350 pounds or determined to be safe by MRI tech (MRI limit)
- Inability to participate in a controlled diet program (study 2) or undergo other study procedures
- Non-English speaking-or-reading individuals
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Obesity Pathogenesis
The goal of this research is to investigate genetic and environmental factors that contribute to obesity through brain inflammation. The main questions are 1) if identical twins, who differ in food consumption habits, have differences in adiposity markers and brain inflammation and 2) if signs of brain inflammation in response to a specific diet is modified by genetics.
Read the detailed description
In study 1, participant twin pairs that differ in habitual diet intake, will complete an in-person study visit that includes an MRI of the brain and abdomen, body composition measurement, a blood draw and questionnaires. In study 2, a different set of participant twin pairs will complete 3 in-person study visits over 2 weeks, during which all meals will be provided by the study. Visits will include brain MRI, body composition measurements, blood draws and questionnaires.
- Being tested
- Diet modification
- Keywords
- Gliosis, Eating patterns
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity, Gliosis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Diet modificationBehavioural
Participants will be provided all meals for a 14-day period. For 7 of the days, meals will be 150% of estimated daily caloric needs and for the other 7 days, meals will be low in calories, consistent with recommendations for weight loss.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Study 1, A co-twin control study of habitual diet | No intervention | Monozygotic twin pairs with differential habitual diet practices will undergo measurements including body composition, and MRI measures of hepatic adiposity and neuroinflammation. |
| Study 2, A twin study of controlled diet | Experimental | Monozygotic twin pairs will be provided an assigned diet for 14-days. Receives: Behavioral: Diet modification |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Study 1: Hypothalamic Gliosis
T2 relaxation time as measured by brain MRI
Measured: at enrollment
Study 2: Hypothalamic Gliosis
T2 relaxation time as measured by brain MRI
Measured: 7 days of diet intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Feb 2026
- Study start15 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Nov 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Apr 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for GeneticsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of WashingtonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 110 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Washington
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ellen Schur, MD, MS, University of Washington
- Investigators
- Ellen Schur, MD, MS, Principal investigator, University of Washington
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07430852
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00022649
- Other IDs
- R01DK144233
- Acronym
- INTERACT
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Obesity Pathogenesis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07430852
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- INTERACT / STUDY00022649
- Keywords
- Gliosis, Eating patterns
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 110 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of WashingtonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
- Study start
- 15 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Nov 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this research is to investigate genetic and environmental factors that contribute to obesity through brain inflammation. The main questions are 1) if identical twins, who differ in food consumption habits, have differences in adiposity markers and brain inflammation and 2) if signs of brain inflammation in response to a specific diet is modified by genetics.
Detailed description
In study 1, participant twin pairs that differ in habitual diet intake, will complete an in-person study visit that includes an MRI of the brain and abdomen, body composition measurement, a blood draw and questionnaires. In study 2, a different set of participant twin pairs will complete 3 in-person study visits over 2 weeks, during which all meals will be provided by the study. Visits will include brain MRI, body composition measurements, blood draws and questionnaires.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Study 1, A co-twin control study of habitual diet | No intervention | –Monozygotic twin pairs with differential habitual diet practices will undergo measurements including body composition, and MRI measures of hepatic adiposity and neuroinflammation. |
| Study 2, A twin study of controlled diet | Experimental | Behavioral: Diet modificationMonozygotic twin pairs will be provided an assigned diet for 14-days. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age 20-45 years
- Differs in habitual diet from co-twin (study 1).
- Willing to undergo 7-day overfeeding and hypocaloric feeding periods (study 2)
- Member of the Washington State Twin Registry
Key exclusion criteria (16 listed)
- History of bariatric surgery or active participation in weight-loss program
- Major medical or neurological disorder (e.g., diabetes, multiple sclerosis)
- Known gallbladder disease, anemia, impaired thyroid, kidney or liver function or hypertriglyceridemia (>350 mg/dl) (study 2)
- Current use of weight-loss medications or other medications known to alter appetite (e.g., atypical anti-psychotics)
- High levels of vigorous physical activity (>300 min./week)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Diet modificationParticipants will be provided all meals for a 14-day period. For 7 of the days, meals will be 150% of estimated daily caloric needs and for the other 7 days, meals will be low in calories, consistent with recommendations for weight loss. | Behavioural | Study 2, A twin study of controlled diet |
Primary outcome
Study 1: Hypothalamic Gliosis
Time frame: at enrollment
T2 relaxation time as measured by brain MRI
Study 2: Hypothalamic Gliosis
Time frame: 7 days of diet intervention
T2 relaxation time as measured by brain MRI
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Genetics
Active, not recruiting
Measuring Impact of Computer Gaming on Arm Use in Rett Syndrome
Rett Syndrome
RecruitingObservational study
Feasibility Study of a Chatbot AI-Driven Preliminary Screening System for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes
Hereditary Cancer Syndromes
RecruitingObservational study
Deciphering the Genetic Architecture of Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune Diseases
RecruitingObservational study
Studies of the Variable Phenotypic Presentations of Rapid-Onset Dystonia Parkinsonism and Other Movement Disorders
Dystonia, Parkinsonism
Not yet recruiting
Creatine and Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB) Supplementation Plus Home-Based Exercise for Sarcopenia in Huntington's Disease
Huntington Disease, Sarcopenia
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Ellen Schur, MD, MS principal investigator
University of Washington
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Diet modification in people with Genetics and Obesity, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 16 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Study 1: Hypothalamic Gliosis (time frame: at enrollment). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Oct 2026.