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A systematic review on leptin’s role in defining cancer: special emphasis on immunomodulation, inflammation, and therapeutic interventions

Genes & Immunity volume 26, pages 266–286 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Leptin, an adipokine related to obesity, is mainly known for its role in regulating energy homeostasis and appetite by working via the leptin receptor. Recently, different groups have demonstrated that apart from adipocytes, specific cell types associated with cancer and tumor microenvironments express leptin and leptin receptors. This tumor microenvironment-associated leptin-leptin receptor signaling contributes to the different hallmarks of cancer, ranging from inflammatory changes to metastasis. Eventually, it has also been reported that high serum level of leptin, a characteristic of obese people, is linked to enhanced tumor growth. On the other hand, leptin can influence both innate as well as adaptive immunity related to cancer. Overall, leptin’s role in modulating cancer is controversial. So, in this review, we summarized the role of leptin in shaping different forms of cancer that are influenced by leptin-leptin receptor signaling with special emphasis on immunomodulation and inflammatory events and also discussed the possible therapeutic interventions to date. As this review work, with the collection of different updated knowledge, has summarized the role of leptin on cancer, it would be useful material to have on hand for both beginners as well as pioneers of these and related fields.

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Fig. 1: Impaired activity of NK cells due to higher circulating leptins in obese individuals.
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Change history

  • 26 May 2025

    The typo in the article title has been been corrected: "A systemic review" to "A systematic review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunology Microbiology Lab, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, Tripura, India

    Snehashish Modak, Tamanna Aktar, Debabrata Majumder, Ashish Kr. Singha & Debasish Maiti

  2. Department of Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Debabrata Majumder

  3. Department of Human Physiology, Holy Cross College, Agartala, West Tripura, India

    Ashish Kr. Singha

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  1. Snehashish Modak
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  2. Tamanna Aktar
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Contributions

S.M. drafted the initial version of the manuscript and prepared the figures. T.A. contributed to the manuscript writing and assisted preparing a figure. D.M.R. participated in manuscript writing and performed critical revisions. A.K.S. contributed to the writing and provided substantive input during the critical revision process, D.M. conceptualized the review, reviewed and supervised its execution, and was responsible for final review and editing of the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

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Correspondence to Debasish Maiti.

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Modak, S., Aktar, T., Majumder, D. et al. A systematic review on leptin’s role in defining cancer: special emphasis on immunomodulation, inflammation, and therapeutic interventions. Genes Immun 26, 266–286 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41435-025-00333-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41435-025-00333-7

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