Advances in the molecular genetics of obesity

The past year has seen substantial progress in our understanding the molecular mechanisms of bodyweight regulation, particularly in the central and peripheral actions of the leptin and melanocortin signaling pathways (e.g. leptin stimulation of angiogenesis and suppression of cytokine production). Important advances also include the identification of mutations in components of the leptin and melanocortin pathways in human obese families. Expanding from the positional cloning of leptin some five years ago, the mouse continues to be a central focus of study, particularly the way in which different bodyweight-sensing pathways interact in different feeding states.