From blood to brain through BBB and astrocytic signaling

In this Festschrift, I discuss the career and guiding principles to which Abba J. Kastin has adhered during the last 20 years we worked together. I briefly describe the history of our joint laboratory group, the context of studies of peptide permeation across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and newer developments in the BBB Group as Abba steps down after serving 35 years as the founding Editor-in-Chief for Peptides. Abba's BBB studies on peptides have contributed to concepts in the neuroendocrinology of feeding and developed information on molecular trafficking across BBB cells. The astroglial leptin signaling studies and the interactions of sleep and BBB are two major directions, whereas the long-term MIF-1 project demarcates a tortuous road on translational research.

20 years of leptin: what we know and what the future holds

This special issue of Journal of Endocrinology celebrates the 20th anniversary of the discovery of leptin, a hormone produced by adipose tissue, which provides critical signals to the organism regarding the status of its energy stores. The discovery of leptin not only revolutionised our understanding of endocrine physiology but has also resulted in a registered medicinal product which is already improving the health of patients with serious metabolic diseases. In this issue, we have gathered together a group of essays by some of the world leaders in leptin research, including an overview by Dr Jeffrey Friedman who, in his seminal article in December 1994, described the adipocyte-derived hormone, the lack of which was responsible for the severe obesity in ob/ob mice and suggested that it should be named leptin.

Leading the charge in leptin research: an interview with Jeffrey Friedman

Jeffrey Friedman is a molecular geneticist whose group, in 1994, reported the long-sought identity and function of leptin (Zhang et al., 1994), a key fat-derived hormone that regulates feeding behaviour and body weight. This represented a massive step forward in our understanding of obesity, which is now one of the world’s fastest-growing health problems. Here, he recalls his journey of discovery and offers his perspective on the future of obesity research.