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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #386012
Research Project: Molecular, Cellular, and Regulatory Aspects of Obesity Development

Location: Children's Nutrition Research Center

Title: The central melanocortin system and human obesity

Author
item YANG, YONGJIE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item XU, YONG - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Journal of Molecular Cell Biology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/4/2020
Publication Date: 8/14/2020
Citation: Yang, Y., Xu, Y. 2020. The central melanocortin system and human obesity. Journal of Molecular Cell Biology. 12(10):785-797. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjaa048.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jmcb/mjaa048

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The prevalence of obesity and the associated comorbidities highlight the importance of understanding the regulation of energy homeostasis. The central melanocortin system plays a critical role in controlling body weight balance. Melanocortin neurons sense and integrate the neuronal and hormonal signals, and then send regulatory projections, releasing anorexigenic or orexigenic melanocortin neuropeptides, to downstream neurons to regulate the food intake and energy expenditure. This review summarizes the latest progress in our understanding of the role of the melanocortin pathway in energy homeostasis. We also review the advances in the identification of human genetic variants that cause obesity via mechanisms that affect the central melanocortin system, which have provided rational targets for treatment of genetically susceptible patients.