{"title":"Genetic causes of obesity: mapping a path forward.","authors":"Ruth J F Loos","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.02.002","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the past 30 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic causes of obesity. In the coming years, catalogs that map each genetic variant to its genomic function are expected to accelerate variant-to-function (V2F) translation. Given that obesity is a heterogeneous disease, research will have to move beyond body mass index (BMI). Gene discovery efforts for more refined adiposity traits are poised to reveal additional genetic loci, pointing to new biological mechanisms. Obesity genetics research is reaching unprecedented heights and, along with a renewed interest in the development of weight-loss medication, it holds the potential to identify new drug targets. Polygenic scores (PGSs) that predict obesity risk are expected to further improve and will be particularly valuable early in life for timely prevention.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Trends in molecular medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2025.02.002","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Over the past 30 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the genetic causes of obesity. In the coming years, catalogs that map each genetic variant to its genomic function are expected to accelerate variant-to-function (V2F) translation. Given that obesity is a heterogeneous disease, research will have to move beyond body mass index (BMI). Gene discovery efforts for more refined adiposity traits are poised to reveal additional genetic loci, pointing to new biological mechanisms. Obesity genetics research is reaching unprecedented heights and, along with a renewed interest in the development of weight-loss medication, it holds the potential to identify new drug targets. Polygenic scores (PGSs) that predict obesity risk are expected to further improve and will be particularly valuable early in life for timely prevention.
期刊介绍:
Trends in Molecular Medicine (TMM) aims to offer concise and contextualized perspectives on the latest research advancing biomedical science toward better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of human diseases. It focuses on research at the intersection of basic biology and clinical research, covering new concepts in human biology and pathology with clear implications for diagnostics and therapy. TMM reviews bridge the gap between bench and bedside, discussing research from preclinical studies to patient-enrolled trials. The major themes include disease mechanisms, tools and technologies, diagnostics, and therapeutics, with a preference for articles relevant to multiple themes. TMM serves as a platform for discussion, pushing traditional boundaries and fostering collaboration between scientists and clinicians. The journal seeks to publish provocative and authoritative articles that are also accessible to a broad audience, inspiring new directions in molecular medicine to enhance human health.