Jeff Scientists Make Further Inroads in Isolating Causes of Obesity

Researchers from the division of endocrinology and metabolic disease at Jefferson Medical College have come one step closer to identifying the causes of obesity.

Robert V. Considine, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, has discovered that the leptin receptor - the site in the brain receiving the message carried by leptin, the obesity hormone - is the same in both obese and lean people. Dr. Considine and colleague Jerzy W. Kolaczynski, MD, PhD, previously found that leptin levels are elevated in obese individuals; this latest study suggests that a defect in how the leptin signal is processed may hold the secret to obesity. The researchers' findings were published in July's Diabetes.

"We still don't know the molecular basis of human obesity, but leptin may play a primary role. We know that leptin resistance occurs in those who are obese, but do not yet understand why," says Dr. Kolaczynski. "Preliminary trials using leptin to control appetite will be conducted and should answer this question."

The results of this study point scientists in the direction of further research into the central signaling mechanisms in the brain that regulate body fat, says Dr. Considine. He warns those waiting for a magic bullet, however, that "no single drug or hormone is going to be the solution for obesity. The causes of obesity are genetic and environmental. All therapies will be in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise."