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The discovery of leptin by Friedman and his colleagues in
1994 was a seminal discovery in the study of metabolism, providing a
new tool to study energy expenditure and appetite regulation. Early
studies actively investigated many aspects of metabolism, obesity, and
diabetes but it was soon evident that leptin was much more than a
metabolic hormone. Today leptin, with almost 11,000 reports in the
world's literature, is recognized to be important in many areas of
physiology with strong suggestions for involvement in clinical
conditions as well. Leptin, of course, remains of great interest in
obesity and diabetes but other, previously unimagined, areas are now
in the realm of leptin physiology. Perhaps leptin and its involvement
in many areas of reproductive physiology may be of greatest interest
outside of obesity, but other physiological arenas are becoming
increasingly involved in the broader understanding of leptin and its
pleiotropic functions. These areas include cardiovascular disease,
bone physiology, immune regulation, and even cancer and genetics.
Clinical trials have suggested other areas of leptin pharmaceutical
potential beyond the original promise of obesity management. These
topics and others, for the first time, have been collected in one volume
as the first comprehensive review of leptin and its many actions. This
area will continue to increase and is now compounded by new
endocrine factors that have been elucidated in the wake of leptin's
explosion onto the physiological scene. The future seems promising
for an increased physiological understanding and the development of
clinical applications. This volume will serve as the basis for
understanding the past and present of leptin, and to indicate where the
future direction of leptin may lead.
This book is an edited collection of the literature on leptin beginning with the discovery of leptin and a study of its affect on animals and in humans. Chapters will focus on the discovery, history, roles and regulation of leptin in all the major areas of physiology, as well as on assay methods, phylogeny and genetics. The timing of this volume is long overdue and is the first comprehensive coverage of leptin physiology in the field. |
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