Ghrelin in Health and Disease, 2012
Contemporary Endocrinology Series

Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor, is critical in the control of food intake and energy balance. The ghrelin receptors are now known to have important physiological properties as modulators of growth hormone release, appetite, glucose homeostasis, metabolism, immune function, neurotransmitter activity, cognitive function and neurodegeneration. Bringing all of this information together in the first comprehensive text on the topic, Ghrelin in Health and Disease provides a state-of-the-art synthesis of the latest work in this area for physicians and physician-scientists. This volume addresses the unique property of ghrelin as a modulator of function. Such a property provides potential utility for safe intervention in a wide variety of disease states. Indeed as we learn more about the basic physiology of ghrelin, the potential for treating new disease targets emerge requiring validation in the clinic. Each chapter in this volume is authored by a leading investigator in the field. The introductory chapter sets the background for the book and provides a superb overview of the relevance of ghrelin to physiology, describing how the discovery of ghrelin has prompted us to completely rethink traditional physiology. The authors conclude their chapters by critically addressing the future translational aspects of ghrelin biology and outlining what key basic research and clinical questions remain to be addressed. An invaluable resource, Ghrelin in Health and Disease distinguishes itself as the first comprehensive title covering all of the molecular and clinical issues relating to ghrelin and advancing our clinical understanding of obesity, growth, and reproductive pathogenesis.

Preface

Roy G. Smith

Chapter 1. Ghrelin: A History of Its Discovery

Cyril Y. Bowers

G.A. Reynolds

Johannes D. Veldhuis

Chapter 2. Enzymatic Processing of Ghrelin Precursor

Masayasu Kojima

Kenji Kangawa

Chapter 3. Ghrelin’s Novel Signaling in Islet b-Cells to Inhibit Insulin Secretion and Its Blockade As a Promising Strategy to Treat Type 2 Diabetes

Katsuya Dezaki

Damdindorj Boldbaatar

Tomoyuki Kurashina

Toshihiko Yada

Chapter 4. Gastric Ghrelin in the Regulation of Appetite and Metabolism

Luisa María Seoane

Ana Belen Crujeiras

Omar Al-Massadi

Felipe F. Casanueva

Chapter 5. Ghrelin Regulation of AMPK in the Hypothalamus and Peripheral Tissues

Miski Scerif

Blerina Kola

Márta Korbonits

Chapter 6. Ghrelin: Neuropeptide Regulator of Metabolism

Pablo J. Enriori

Zane Andrews

Michael Alexander Cowley

Chapter 7. GOAT and the Regulation of Energy and Glucose Homeostasis

Henriette Kirchner

Matthias Tschöp

Jenny Tong

Chapter 8. Ghrelin Regulation of Sleep, Circadian Clock and Body Temperature

Éva Szentirmai

Levente Kapás

Chapter 9. Ghrelin Regulation of Learning, Memory and Neurodegeneration

Tamas L. Horvath

Chapter 10. Ghrelin Antagonism: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Addictive Behavior Disorders

Elisabet Jerlhag

Emil Egecioglu

Jörgen Engel

Suzanne L. Dickson

Chapter 11. Ghrelin Receptor Agonists in Cachexia of Human Aging

Ralf Nass

Michael O. Thorner

Chapter 12. Use of Ghrelin and Ghrelin Receptor Agonists in Cancer- and Chemotherapy-Induced Cachexia

Basil Burney

Jose M. Garcia

Chapter 13. Ghrelin in Cachexia Associated with End-Stage Renal Disease

Damien Ashby

Peter Choi

Stephen Bloom

Chapter 14. Ghrelin Suppression of Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

 Sachiko Miyake

Takashi Yamamura

Chapter 15. Physiological Roles of Des-Acyl Ghrelin

S.J.C.M.M. Neggers

Riccarda Granata

Ezio Ghigo

Aart J. van der Lely

Superb overview of the relevance of ghrelin to physiology and as a modulator of function.

Covers all of the molecular and clinical issues, providing basic translational research on ghrelin with results of clinical investigations

Advances our clinical understanding of obesity, growth, and reproductive pathogenesis

Authored by leading international investigators in the field