Targeting melanocortin receptors for the treatment of obesity

Neuroanatomical, genetic and pharmacological studies provide undisputable evidence for the role of the melanocortin system in the regulation of feeding behavior and body weight. In this review, we present the underlying biological rational for the development of melanocortin-based therapeutics to treat obesity and discuss four potential strategic approaches. Of these, non-peptide MC4R selective agonists show the most promise. High-affinity compounds with drug-like properties are efficacious in animal models and proof-of-concept data from clinical trials are anticipated.

Section editors:David Sibley – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USAC. Anthony Altar – Psychiatric Genomics, Gaithersburg, USATheresa Branchek – Lundbeck Research, Paramus, USA