Leptin is a protein secreted by white adipocytes into the circulation, playing an important role in regulating energy homeostasis. Leptin mainly acts on neurons in the basal part of the hypothalamus, regulating food intake, thermogenesis, and blood glucose levels. It also has multiple endocrine functions, participating in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses, hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, reproduction, bone formation, and wound healing. The mutation of this gene and its regulatory region leads to severe obesity and pathological obesity with gonadal dysfunction in human patients.
