Obesity-Related Diseases: Molecular Basis and Therapeutic Approaches

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1061

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Paediatrics, Medical School and National Laboratory on Human Reproduction, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
Interests: epigenetics; genetics; childhood obesity; long-term consequences of in vitro fertilization (IVF)
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the World Health Organization, obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Obesity is a heterogeneous disorder and has a multifactorial etiology that involves energy imbalance, genetic and epigenetic modifications, neuroendocrine dysregulation, disorders of adipose tissue functioning, and alterations in the microbiome, among others. This process starts in utero, indicating that good health is also dependent on the mother’s lifestyle before birth.

Obesity is associated with a higher risk of the development of various noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, which are linked to increased mortality and morbidity. Preventive and therapeutic interventions in obesity are crucial in decreasing the burden of comorbid health conditions. The management and prevention of obesity are also complex, involving a combination of lifestyle changes, intensive dietary approaches, anti-obesity pharmacotherapy, and/or bariatric surgery.

The aim of this Special Issue, entitled “Obesity-Related Diseases: Molecular Basis and Therapeutic Approaches”, is to gather original research manuscripts, meta-analyses, and reviews dealing with the molecular basis of obesity and related diseases (an updated view of the emerging knowledge about epigenetics, nutrigenomics, neuronal, and hormonal aspects, among others) and therapeutic approaches.

Prof. Dr. Dénes Molnár
Dr. Szilvia Bokor
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • obesity
  • causes
  • therapy
  • epigenetics
  • biomolecules

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

27 pages, 2432 KB  
Review
N6-Methyladenosine (m6A)-Mediated Regulation of Lipid Metabolism: Molecular Mechanisms, Pathological Implications, and Therapeutic Perspectives
by Qingjun Zhu, Yunyi Hu, Minhao Li, Haili Yang, Le Zhao and Yongju Zhao
Biomolecules 2026, 16(1), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16010101 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 806
Abstract
Dysregulated lipid metabolism constitutes the fundamental etiology underlying the global burden of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant reversible chemical modification on messenger RNA and influences virtually every aspect of RNA metabolism. Recent [...] Read more.
Dysregulated lipid metabolism constitutes the fundamental etiology underlying the global burden of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant reversible chemical modification on messenger RNA and influences virtually every aspect of RNA metabolism. Recent studies demonstrate that m6A mediates regulatory networks governing lipid metabolism and contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple metabolic diseases. However, the precise roles of m6A in lipid metabolism and related metabolic disorders remain incompletely understood. This review positions m6A modification as a central epigenetic switch that governs lipid homeostasis. We first summarize the molecular components of the dynamic m6A regulatory machinery and delineate the mechanisms by which it controls key lipid metabolic processes, with an emphasis on adipogenesis, thermogenesis and lipolysis. Building on this, we further discuss how dysregulated m6A acts as a shared upstream driver linking obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and insulin resistance through tissue-specific and inter-organ communication mechanisms. We also evaluate the potential of targeting m6A regulators as therapeutic strategies for precision intervention in metabolic diseases. Ultimately, deciphering the complex interplay between m6A modification and lipid homeostasis offers a promising frontier for the development of epitranscriptome-targeted precision medicine against obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Obesity-Related Diseases: Molecular Basis and Therapeutic Approaches)
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