Leptin News and Research

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Leptin is a 16 kDa protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism. It is one of the most important adipose derived hormones. The ''Ob(Lep)'' gene (Ob for obese, Lep for leptin) is located on chromosome 7 in humans.

Researchers explore role of dietary composition on energy expenditure

The researchers say this effect may improve the success of obesity treatment, especially among people with high insulin secretion (insulin level 30 minutes after consuming a standard amount of glucose).

14 Nov 2018

Study finds why obesity both fuels cancer growth and helps immunotherapy to kill tumors

A groundbreaking new study by UC Davis researchers has uncovered why obesity both fuels cancer growth and allows blockbuster new immunotherapies to work better against those same tumors.

13 Nov 2018

Nasal delivery of leptin hormone may help ease breathing problems during sleep

Experimenting with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have added to evidence that a hormone best known for helping regulate hunger and body weight might also ease breathing problems experienced during sleep more effectively when given through the nose.

7 Nov 2018

Getting right level of leptin may help protect cardiovascular health

Like that famous bowl of porridge, when leptin levels are "just right" they help protect our cardiovascular health, scientists say.

29 Oct 2018

Weight loss success associated with brain areas involved in self-control

New research suggests that higher-level brain functions have a major role in losing weight. In a study among 24 participants at a weight-loss clinic, those who achieved greatest success in terms of weight loss demonstrated more activity in the brain regions of the lateral prefrontal cortex associated with self-control.

19 Oct 2018

New 3D imaging technique helps track satiety hormone

Many overweight people lack the feeling of being full. It was long thought that this was due to the disrupted transport of the satiety hormone leptin to the brain.

9 Oct 2018

Study: Neural signal that urges to eat overpowers the one that says to stop

Almost everyone knows the feeling. You're at a restaurant or a holiday meal, and your stomach is telling you it's full, so logically you know you should stop eating.

21 Sep 2018

Plant-derived substance could offer new option for treatment of obesity

A plant-derived substance widely used in traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated promising weight loss effects.

31 Aug 2018

Physical activity can help reduce risk of heart disease in older adults

Adults in their early 60s, who spend less time sitting and more time engaged in light to vigorous physical activity, benefit with healthier levels of heart and vessel disease markers, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

9 Aug 2018

Nature and effects of breastfeeding on health of mothers and babies

Guidelines recommend breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for most babies. The Nutrition 2018 meeting will feature new research findings on the nature of breast milk and how breastfeeding may affect the health of both moms and babies.

11 Jun 2018

Brain stimulation shows promise in treating obesity by reducing food cravings

Stimulating the brain to alter its intrinsic reward system shows promise in the treatment of obesity, according to results presented in Barcelona at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, ECE 2018.

21 May 2018

New drug-based treatment to promote weight loss in young patients with genetic obesity

In a new study researchers from the Institute for Experimental Pediatric Endocrinology of the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have successfully treat patients whose obesity is caused by a genetic defect.

8 May 2018

University of Pennsylvania expert investigates novel treatment for cocaine addiction

Cocaine and other drugs of abuse hijack the natural reward circuits in the brain. In part, that's why it's so hard to quit using these substances.

28 Apr 2018

Caffeine during pregnancy - babies 66 percent more likely to become overweight

A new study has shown that babies carry a 30 percent increased risk of being overweight when they are exposed to two cups of coffee daily while within the mother’s womb. If the mothers were consuming more than three cups of coffee a day while they were pregnant, the babies were 66 percent more likely to become overweight.

25 Apr 2018

Genome editing identifies neural circuit behind leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects

Revealing surprising answers to a long-standing enigma about the brain target of the anti-obesity hormone leptin, neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have used CRISPR genome editing to identify a neural circuit in the hypothalamus as the primary mechanism in mediating leptin's anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and have identified two distinct mechanisms underlying leptin's inhibition of appetite.

19 Apr 2018

Lipodystrophy: The Importance of Awareness

An interview with Rebecca Sanders, Lipodystrophy UK co-founder, discussing the importance of awareness campaigns for patients and society at large.

3 Apr 2018

Tadpole metamorphosis found to be controlled by fat-sensing hormone

When tadpoles are but tadpoles, they're voracious eaters, chomping down all of the plant matter in their paths.

29 Mar 2018

Motor skill training may contribute to reading skills in obese children

Excess body weight has been linked to poor academic performance in children in several previous studies. A new Finnish study now shows that a high body fat percentage is associated with poor reading skills in 6-8-year-old boys. However, these associations are largely explained by poor motor skills.

20 Mar 2018

Race and pre-pregnancy BMI may be key predictors of maternal weight gain

Race and pre-pregnancy body mass index both affect leptin and adiponectin levels, and leptin levels in mid-pregnancy may be an important predictor of weight gain during pregnancy, new research suggests.

19 Mar 2018

Scientists explore how to protect obese, premenopausal women from cardiovascular risk

Obese, premenopausal women can lose the innate protection from cardiovascular disease that their youth and estrogen are believed to afford, and scientists want to know how.

14 Mar 2018