Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 9, Issue 17, 2003

New treatments are currently required for the common metabolic diseases obesity and type 2 diabetes. The identification of physiological and biochemical factors that underlie the metabolic disturbances observed in obesity and type 2 diabetes is a key step in developing better therapeutic outcomes. The discovery of new genes and pathways involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases is critical to this process, however i Read More

Modern societies have moved from famine to feast and obesity and its co-morbidities now sweep the world as a global epidemic. Numerous scientific laboratories and pharmaceutical companies have taken the challenge and are now exploiting novel molecular targets for treatment of obesity. The pre-proglucagon system constitutes interesting candidates as potential targets for new anti-obesity drugs. In the periphery, Read More

In order to develop an effective pharmacological treatment for obesity, an endogenous factor that promotes a positive energy balance by increasing appetite and decreasing fat oxidation could represent the drug target scientists have been looking for. The recently discovered gastric endocrine agent ghrelin, which appears to be the only potent hungerinducing factor to naturally circulate in our blood stream, was disco Read More

Triacylglycerol storage in adipose tissue is mediated by a host of transporters, enzymes and binding proteins. Additionally, several hormones (both autocrine and endocrine) are known to interact with cell surface receptors and modulate triacylglycerol synthesis (such as acylation stimulating protein, ASP). The many proteins involved contribute to the robustness of the system and, in most cases, deletion of a single gene is not Read More

Adiponectin is an insulin-sensitizing hormone whose blood concentration is reduced in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Administration of recombinant adiponectin in rodents increases glucose uptake and increases fat oxidation in muscle, reduces fatty acid uptake and hepatic glucose production in liver, and improves whole body insulin resistance. The exact receptor and signaling systems are unknown, however, recent studies sugg Read More