Page 95 - CIBEROBN2016-ENG

• Puberty, reproduction and obesity. We aim to characterize the alterations of puberty and reproductive function in conditions of energy imbalance, with special attention to the impact of obesity on puberty onset, gonadotropic function and fertility. Our interest is also covering the pathophysiology of early onset obesity and its link with pubertal disorders, addressed by the use of suitable preclinical models.
• Gonadal factors and obesity. We study the metabolic alterations associated to gonadal and reproductive dysfunction, with special attention to the analysis of the influence of nutritional and gonadal factors in the generation of obesity, as studies by the use of preclinical models of sequential obesogenic insults.
• Obesity and cancer. We aim to evaluate the alterations induced by obesity in the generation and progression of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast, ovarian and prostate cancers, using both human samples and suitable animal models, with special attention to the analysis of neuroendocrine metabolic and inflammatory markers.
Most relevant scientific articles
• Manfredi-Lozano M., Roa J., Ruiz-Pino F., Piet R., García-Galiano D., Pineda R. et al. Defining a novel leptin– melanocortin–kisspeptin pathway involved in the metabolic control of puberty. Molecular Metabolism. 2016;5(10):844-857.
• Castellano J.M., Tena-Sempere M. Metabolic control of female puberty: potential therapeutic targets. Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets. 2016;20(10):1181-1193.
• Moreno-Castellanos N., Rodríguez A., Rabanal-Ruiz Y., Fernández-Vega A., López-Miranda J., Vázquez- Martínez R. et al. The cytoskeletal protein septin 11 is associated with human obesity and is involved in adipocyte lipid storage and metabolism. Diabetologia. 2016;1-12.
• Luque R.M., Córdoba-Chacón J., Pozo-Salas A.I., Porteiro B., De Lecea L., Nogueiras R. et al. Obesity- and gender-dependent role of endogenous somatostatin and cortistatin in the regulation of endocrine and metabolic homeostasis in mice. Scientific Reports. 2016;6.
• Córdoba-Chacón J., Gahete M.D., Pozo-Salas A.I., De Lecea L., Castano J.P., Luque R.M. Cortistatin is a key factor regulating the sex-dependent response of the GH and stress axes to fasting in mice. Endocrinology. 2016;157(7):2810-2823.
Hightlights
The scientific activities of the group have continued and expanded ongoing research lines focusing on topics of some of the major Scientific Programs of CIBEROBN, including prominently adipocyte biology, obesity-cancer interactions, early onset obesity and pubertal alterations, as well as pathophysiological mechanisms for the control of body weight and related body functions (e.g., reproduction), as well as their potential alterations.
In this context, during 2016 the group has made important contributions towards (i) the elucidation of the mechanism of the metabolic control of puberty, which will help to explain the basis for pubertal alterations associated to obesity and other metabolic disorders (see highlighted articles 1 and 2), (ii) the characterization of the molecular basis for the connection between obesity, metabolic signals and cancer (with different
papers being published in prestigious journals, such as Scientific Reports, Oncotarget and Oncogene), (iii)
the understanding of fundamental aspects of adipocyte biology, and its alteration in conditions of metabolic distress, such as obesity and insulin resistance, as well as adipose responses to interventions (e.g., bariatric surgery; see highlighted article 3); and (iv) the evaluation of the multi-faceted mechanisms whereby metabolic signals participate in the integral control of body weight, metabolism and related body functions (with
different publications in reference journals, such as Endocrinology, Scientific Reports and Molecular Cellular Endocrinology; for a representative example see highlighted articles 4 and 5). In addition, the group has kept active collaborations with other CIBEROBN teams, which have materialized in numerous joint publications during 2016, including invited authoritative reviews (e.g., in Nature Reviews in Endocrinology) and original articles. Finally, our group was invited to write a commemorative article on the occasion of the centennial of the prestigious journal Endocrinology, on the topic of hormones and obesity.
OBN
Research groups 95