Obesity is globally prevalent and highly heritable, but the underlying
genetic factors remain largely elusive. To identify genetic loci for
obesity-susceptibility, we examined associations between body mass index (BMI)
and ~2.8 million SNPs in up to 123,865 individuals, with targeted follow-up of
42 SNPs in up to 125,931 additional individuals. We confirmed 14 known
obesity-susceptibility loci and identified 18 new loci associated with BMI
(P<5×10−8), one of which
includes a copy number variant near GPRC5B. Some loci
(MC4R, POMC, SH2B1, BDNF) map near key hypothalamic
regulators of energy balance, and one is near GIPR, an incretin
receptor. Furthermore, genes in other newly-associated loci may provide novel
insights into human body weight regulation.
Patients with rare defects in the gene encoding proopiomelanocortin (POMC) have extreme early-onset obesity, hyperphagia, hypopigmentation, and hypocortisolism, resulting from the lack of the proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides melanocyte-stimulating hormone and corticotropin. In such patients, adrenal insufficiency must be treated with hydrocortisone early in life. No effective pharmacologic treatments have been available for the hyperphagia and obesity that characterize the condition. In this investigator-initiated, open-label study, two patients with proopiomelanocortin deficiency were treated with setmelanotide, a new melanocortin-4 receptor agonist. The patients had a sustainable reduction in hunger and substantial weight loss (51.0 kg after 42 weeks in Patient 1 and 20.5 kg after 12 weeks in Patient 2).
Genetic defects underlying the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) signaling pathway lead to severe obesity. Three severely obese LEPR-deficient individuals were administered the MC4R agonist setmelanotide, resulting in substantial and durable reductions in hyperphagia and body weight over an observation period of 45-61 weeks. Compared to formerly developed and tested MC4R agonists, setmelanotide has the unique capability of activating nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) signaling and restoring function of this signaling pathway for selected MC4R variants. Our data demonstrate the potency of setmelanotide in treatment of individuals with diverse MC4R-related pathway deficiencies.
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