Collection 

Molecular mechanisms of obesity

Submission status
Closed
Submission deadline

Obesity is on the rise worldwide, affecting nearly one in eight adults and one in 14 children. Excess body fat increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, insulin resistance, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, some types of cancer, and other comorbidities. Despite the massive health and economic costs of obesity, the etiology of this condition at the molecular level is not fully understood. Mechanisms implicated in obesity include oxidative stress triggered by pro-inflammatory adipokines released by the adipose tissue, leading to insulin resistance; control of adipogenesis by long non-coding RNAs; epigenetic modifications; and changes in the gut microbiome leading to disrupted lipid and glucose homeostasis and satiety signaling.

The Collection will showcase articles that shed further light on the complex and varied causes of obesity, with an eye towards developing improved treatment and prevention strategies in the future.

Obese person with fatty liver on background with micrograph of liver steatosis, 3D illustration

Editors

Antonio Brunetti is Full Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Catanzaro “Magna Græcia”. His current research includes the study of chronic inflammation and hypoxia in fat, and their role in the development of obesity-related insulin resistance. His clinical interests involve all aspects of endocrine disease, including the prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance. Professor Brunetti has been an Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports since 2018.
 

 

Po-Shiuan Hsieh is a Professor in the Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences at National Defence Medical Center. His academic interests include the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, especially focusing on the role and underlying mechanism of obesity-induced inflammation and energy dysregulation. Professor Hsieh has been an Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports since 2019.
 

 

Petra Kotzbeck is an Assistant Professor at the Medical University of Graz and Deputy Head at COREMED, JOANNEUM RESEARCH. Her research focuses on wound healing and wound healing disorders, with an emphasis on inflammation and skin metabolism. Due to her research background in lipid metabolism, adipocyte physiology and obesity development, she tries to combine both research fields. Dr Kotzbeck has been Editorial Board member of Scientific Reports since 2019.
Image credit: JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Bergmann