Phenotypic effects of leptin replacement on morbid obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypogonadism, and behavior in leptin-deficient adults
Remember that leptin is a hormone secreted by the adipose cell that, in a healthy state, will decrease appetite and speed up metabolism. It should act as a regulator of body weight–more adipose tissue, more leptin and faster metabolism to lose the fat–less fat, less leptin and metabolism slows down again. I really do believe that somewhere in the leptin pathway lies an important approach to obesity. As soon as we start to learn ways to make cells more responsive to leptin’s message, we will begin to see more effective approaches to weight loss.
PNAS — Abstracts: Licinio et al. 101 (13): 4531 –