Johns Hopkins University scientists have discovered the master cells in the brain that cut food cravings by sending signals to “stop eating.”

The findings, discovered in mice, could have major implications for people too, potentially opening the door to a new way to combat obesity.

While researching the brain’s learning and memory system, scientists at Johns Hopkins say they stumbled upon a new type of nerve cell that seems to control feeding behaviors in mice.

The finding, they report, adds significant detail to the way brains tell animals when to stop eating and, if confirmed in humans, could lead to new tools for fighting obesity.

“When the type of brain cell we discovered fires and sends off signals, our laboratory mice stop eating soon after,” said Richard Huganir, director of the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who helped conduct the study published in the journal Science. “The signals seem to tell the mice they’ve had enough.”

The team’s discovery grew out of studies proteins that strengthen and weaken the connections between brain cells.