Obesity Proteomics

Obesity and the diseases arising from it (diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer) constitute a major health challenge to the industrialized world. In the past decade, it has become apparent that adipose tissue is not an inert fat-storage depot, but a major endocrine organ which secretes numerous soluble factors and regulates many processes related to glucose homeostasis, lipid and protein metabolism, hunger/satiety, inflammatory and immune responses, and vascular function. Collectively, these factors are referred to as adipokines. Some are mainly produced by adipose tissue (e.g., leptin and resistin), while others are classical cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1, which are also synthesized in other tissues. Understanding adipokine-mediated molecular signaling is critical to understanding and treating the myriad of diseases resulting from obesity.