The Relevance of Metabotrophic Factors in Pathobiology and Therapy of Obesity and Related Diseases

Abstract

Currently, the most widespread global ailment is not COVID-19 or any other such devastating infectious diseases. In fact, obesity has been recognized as a prime risk in the development of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) and cancer and their morbidity and mortality signature. The pathobiology and therapy of obesity and related diseases are immensely complex at the cellular and molecular levels. This scenario raises the question of how such a complexity may be grappled in a more tangible manner. Since 2003, we have been thinking “what nobody has yet thought about that which everybody sees”, namely, metabotrophic factors (MTF or metabotrophins, metabokines). They include mainly (i) the neurotrophins nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and (ii) the adipomyokines adiponectin, irisin, BDNF, fibroblast growth factor-21 alike as adipose- and skeletal muscle-derived signaling proteins. Herein, we argue that obesity and related CMD and NDD, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, may be viewed as MTF-deficient diseases. Further studies on MTF signatures and ramifications in these diseases are required. This may open up an intriguing line of scientific enquiry that will ally adipobiologists with neurobiologists and myobiologists in the fight against obesity. These would provide greater insights on how we can make MTF work for the improvement of physiological and psychological quality of human life.