There has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity in the world over the last few decades. The human and economic costs of the disease urge the development of effective treatments and the need for a better understanding of the physiological processes of energy balance for designing interventions to tackle obesity.
Leptin is a key component controlling energy balance, a hormone secreted by the adipose tissue that functions as an afferent signal in a negative feedback loop between adipose tissue and the hypothalamus, regulating appetite and body weight. A minor increase in leptin concentration reduces appetite and leads to a decrease in body weight.
Leptin resistance refers to the state in which leptin fails to properly regulate appetite and satiety, and is characterized by reduced satiety, over-consumption of nutrients, and increased total body mass.
Surprisingly, recent studies explored the relationship between diet and leptin, which showed that certain diets are drivers of leptin resistance. At the same time, it has been shown that the use of exogenous leptin as a therapeutic agent is limited. It is not yet completely clear whether the use of leptin sensitizers agents combined with leptin or dietary interventions are effective in overcoming leptin resistance.
This Research Topic aims to provide insight into the connections between obesity, leptin, and diet. We welcome a wide variety of articles such as original research and review articles concerning the following sub-themes:
-Evidence of the link between leptin, obesity, and/or diet,
-Molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in leptin signaling,
-Leptin sensitizers and therapeutic uses.
There has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity in the world over the last few decades. The human and economic costs of the disease urge the development of effective treatments and the need for a better understanding of the physiological processes of energy balance for designing interventions to tackle obesity.
Leptin is a key component controlling energy balance, a hormone secreted by the adipose tissue that functions as an afferent signal in a negative feedback loop between adipose tissue and the hypothalamus, regulating appetite and body weight. A minor increase in leptin concentration reduces appetite and leads to a decrease in body weight.
Leptin resistance refers to the state in which leptin fails to properly regulate appetite and satiety, and is characterized by reduced satiety, over-consumption of nutrients, and increased total body mass.
Surprisingly, recent studies explored the relationship between diet and leptin, which showed that certain diets are drivers of leptin resistance. At the same time, it has been shown that the use of exogenous leptin as a therapeutic agent is limited. It is not yet completely clear whether the use of leptin sensitizers agents combined with leptin or dietary interventions are effective in overcoming leptin resistance.
This Research Topic aims to provide insight into the connections between obesity, leptin, and diet. We welcome a wide variety of articles such as original research and review articles concerning the following sub-themes:
-Evidence of the link between leptin, obesity, and/or diet,
-Molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in leptin signaling,
-Leptin sensitizers and therapeutic uses.
