Molecular approaches to the discovery of new treatments for obesity

The treatment of obesity requires modulation of both energy intake and energy expenditure, and pharmaceutical treatments are being developed to complement the traditional means of dietary restriction and exercise. The recent discovery of the protein leptin, which modulates both food intake and energy expenditure, has provided a new tool with which to define and analyze potential pathways for pharmacological intervention. Neurotransmitters, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY) and norepinephrine, act downstream of leptin to modulate energy homeostasis. Specific subtypes of the receptors for these neurotransmitters represent promising molecular targets for the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of obesity.