Leptin beyond appetite regulation

Flex Session — Wednesday, April 26, 2024 — 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM — , Room W196C
Translational Physiology Interest Group — Chair: Prachi Singh — Co-Chair: Paul Cohen

Obesity increases the risk of several serious health conditions ranging from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, NASH, and cancer. Increased leptin is recognized to be partly responsible for these associations in obesity. However, most studies investigating the roles of leptin are correlational, and are largely focused on the central role of leptin in energy homeostasis. The direct role of leptin in peripheral tissues is largely unappreciated. Recent advances in leptin research have indicated that leptin may be targeted to prevent and treat obesity related disease conditions. However, to explore the therapeutic potential of leptin, it is important to understand the contribution of leptin to complete human pathophysiology. The symposium includes experts with diverse research interests allowing the audience to appreciate the importance of leptin to human physiology beyond its central role in appetite suppression. This session encourages interaction between different disciplines helping to conjure the potential translational implications of leptin to human health.

Speakers

• Leptin and leptin resistance - implications for cardiovascular disease
  Virend K Somers — Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic


• Mechanistic role of leptin in modulating hyperglycemia in poorly-controlled diabetes
  Rachel J Perry — Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine


• Adipose tissue dynamics during weight gain: the leptin story
  Prachi Singh — Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic


• Peripheral Actions of Leptin: From Metabolism to Oncogenesis
  Philipp E Scherer — Internal Medicine & Cell Biology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center