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Adipokines as Clinically Relevant Therapeutic Targets in Obesity

Marleen Würfel1, Matthias Blüher1,2, Michael Stumvoll1

  • 1Department of Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology, Nephrology and Rheumatology, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 18, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

Biomedicines
|May 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Adipokines, proteins from fat tissue, are key in obesity and metabolic disorders. Certain adipokines like FGF19, FGF21, and leptin show promise for treating obesity and related conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Research
  • Obesity Science

Background:

  • Adipokines play a crucial role in obesity's development and link adipose tissue dysfunction to metabolic and cardiovascular issues.
  • While many adipokines' functions are known, regulatory pathways are unclear, and clinical translation remains limited.
  • Adipokines hold significant potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical utility of adipokines in diagnosing and treating obesity and related metabolic disorders.
  • To present an overview of adipokines with demonstrated potential for clinical application based on experimental studies.
  • To highlight specific adipokines with promising therapeutic potential for obesity and comorbidities.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of clinical studies on adipokine diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for obesity.
  • Analysis of experimental data identifying potential clinical applications of various adipokines.
  • Focus on fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and leptin for obesity treatment.

Main Results:

  • Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-19, FGF-21, and leptin show significant potential for clinical application in obesity treatment.
  • Adiponectin, vaspin, resistin, chemerin, visfatin, bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) also demonstrate potential for human clinical use.
  • The review consolidates evidence for adipokines as both diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic agents.

Conclusions:

  • Adipokines are vital in obesity and metabolic disease pathogenesis, offering therapeutic opportunities.
  • FGF-19, FGF-21, and leptin are particularly promising for future clinical applications in obesity and related conditions.
  • Further research and clinical trials are warranted to fully realize the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of various adipokines.
Keywords:
adipokinesbiomarkerobesitytherapeutic strategy

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