Leptin, appetite and puberty
Researchers conducted the first trials of treatment with leptin (a recently discovered hormone that controls appetite) in patients with hereditary leptin deficiency.
In addition to dramatic effects on body weight and appetite, these studies showed that leptin also has a role in regulating human development in puberty, and immune function.
The paper 'Effects of Recombinant Leptin Therapy in a Child with Congenital Leptin Deficiency' was published in 'The New England Journal of Medicine' on 16 September 1999 (volume 341: pp 879-884).
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Image credit: Fiona Pragoff