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Updated: Nov 7, 2025

Author Spotlight: Illuminating New Avenues for Adipose Tissue Metabolism and Disease Prevention
Published on: October 6, 2023
Adiponectin: Structure, Physiological Functions, Role in Diseases, and Effects of Nutrition
Kayvan Khoramipour1, Karim Chamari2, Amirhosein Ahmadi Hekmatikar3
1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Afzalipour Medical Faculty, Physiology Research Center and Neuroscience Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7616913555, Iran.
Abstract:
Adiponectin (a protein consisting of 244 amino acids and characterized by a molecular weight of 28 kDa) is a cytokine that is secreted from adipose tissues (adipokine). Available evidence suggests that adiponectin is involved in a variety of physiological functions, molecular and cellular events, including lipid metabolism, energy regulation, immune response and inflammation, and insulin sensitivity. It has a protective effect on neurons and neural stem cells. Adiponectin levels have been reported to be negatively correlated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, and shown to be affected (i.e., significantly increased) by proper healthy nutrition. The present review comprehensively overviews the role of adiponectin in a range of diseases, showing that it can be used as a biomarker for diagnosing these disorders as well as a target for monitoring the effectiveness of preventive and treatment interventions.
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