Adiponectin (APN)
adiponectin is a secreted adipokine and hormone encoded by ADIPOQ that is produced primarily by adipocytes and circulates at high abundance in blood.
adiponectin is a secreted adipokine and hormone encoded by ADIPOQ that is produced primarily by adipocytes and circulates at high abundance in blood. It is widely recognized as one of the most abundant hormones in the circulation and is closely linked to energy homeostasis, lipid handling, glucose metabolism, and inflammatory regulation. In biomedical research, adiponectin is often studied as a marker and mediator of adipose tissue function, insulin sensitivity, and systemic metabolic health.
At the mechanistic level, adiponectin is associated with signaling pathways involving cAMP, cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, fatty acid oxidation, and broader metabolic adaptation. Its biology is relevant to metabolic disease, aging, and cancer research, where changes in adiponectin levels may reflect altered adipose tissue function or influence tumor cell behavior and redox balance. The protein is also frequently considered alongside other adipokines such as Leptin (LEP) and resistin, and in relation to pathways including Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/HIF-1α, TP53/Cgas/Sting, and Nrf-2-SLC7A11-GSH in experimental systems.
Where the papers sit
13 papers from the last 6 months study Adiponectin (APN) directly · updated from PubMed 10 Oct 2026
Study type 1 clinical trial · 4 observational · 2 human data · 5 preclinical · 1 unclassified
Themes one subject · 1 new direction
Those 13 are all about one subject.
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Adipokine Biology across Disease
Adipokine levels and signaling are being linked to obesity, diabetes, liver disease, cardiovascular risk, neurodegeneration, and inflammatory disorders. Clinical studies emphasize circulating profiles as potential biomarkers, while mechanistic work examines ADIPOR2, leptin resistance, HIRA-mediated transcription, and sex-dependent metabolic effects. Weight-loss interventions such as tirzepatide and bariatric surgery are associated with broader biomarker changes, but causal effects remain unresolved. The shared focus is adipokine biology across metabolic and systemic disease rather than one established therapeutic direction.
Adiponectin deficiency during caloric restriction produces beneficial glycemic effects rather than the metabolic impairment expected from adiponectin loss in obesity
The study of adiponectin knockout in calorically restricted male and female mice found that loss of adiponectin lowered fasting and glucose-challenge blood glucose without altering insulin concentrations or sensitivity, while also producing sex- and diet-specific effects on fatty-acid and triglyceride metabolism. This differs from the detrimental effects attributed to adiponectin deficiency during ad libitum feeding or obesity and gives adiponectin a previously unrepresented role as a context-dependent regulator whose absence can improve glycemia during caloric restriction, rather than uniformly protecting metabolism. 42313833Jun
Papers
The 13 papers from the last 6 months that study Adiponectin (APN) directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Adipokine Biology across Disease (13)
- Growth differentiation factor-15 and body roundness index in relation to cardiometabolic risk in young adults with obesity. Endocrine · 16 Sept 2026 PMID 42747598
- The PROM1+SMAD5+ Tumor-Initiating Subpopulation Shapes Premetastatic Niches through Spatial Multi-Omics Landscapes in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancer communications (London, England) · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42718887
- Serum visfatin level and subfoveal choroidal thickness as independent associates of radiographic ankylosing spondylitis: a case-control study. Rheumatology international · 12 Aug 2026 PMID 42584707
- Gene expression of adipokines in placentas of cows from Northeastern Brazil with and without hyperketonemia and their interactions with metabolic biomarkers. Tropical animal health and production · 10 Aug 2026 PMID 42573864
- A cost-optimized 5-protein panel revolutionizes systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis. PLoS computational biology · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42490652
- FGF21 synergizes with leptin to counteract obesity-related metabolic comorbidities by reversing hepatic leptin resistance. Cell metabolism · 16 Jul 2026 PMID 42462724
- Adipocytokine Profiles in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: Associations With Metabolic and Hormonal Parameters. Physiological research · 15 Jul 2026 PMID 42455070
- Exploring the potential role of ADIPOR2 related to immune microenvironment and metabolism dysfunction in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Medicine · 11 Jul 2026 PMID 42432956
- Histone chaperone HIRA regulates adiponectin expression and obesity-associated adipose expansion by facilitating Pol II pause release. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 6 Jul 2026 PMID 42406969
- Plasma and CSF adiponectin levels in biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer's disease: A cross-sectional study in a tertiary memory clinic. Metabolic brain disease · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42360686
- Adiponectin exerts sex-dependent effects on lipid, amino acid, and glucose metabolism during caloric restriction. PLoS biology · 18 Jun 2026 PMID 42313833
- Role of Adipokines in Maternal Cardiac Function of Pregnancies Following Metabolic Bariatric Surgery. Obesity surgery · 4 Jun 2026 PMID 42240794
- Comprehensive Long-Term Changes in Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers With Tirzepatide: A SURMOUNT-1 Post Hoc Analysis. Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 3 Jun 2026 PMID 42233927
By study type
Clinical trials (1)
- Comprehensive Long-Term Changes in Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers With Tirzepatide: A SURMOUNT-1 Post Hoc Analysis. Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 3 Jun 2026 PMID 42233927
Observational studies and case reports (4)
- Growth differentiation factor-15 and body roundness index in relation to cardiometabolic risk in young adults with obesity. Endocrine · 16 Sept 2026 PMID 42747598
- Serum visfatin level and subfoveal choroidal thickness as independent associates of radiographic ankylosing spondylitis: a case-control study. Rheumatology international · 12 Aug 2026 PMID 42584707
- Adipocytokine Profiles in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: Associations With Metabolic and Hormonal Parameters. Physiological research · 15 Jul 2026 PMID 42455070
- Plasma and CSF adiponectin levels in biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer's disease: A cross-sectional study in a tertiary memory clinic. Metabolic brain disease · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42360686
Human data, design not indexed (2)
- A cost-optimized 5-protein panel revolutionizes systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis. PLoS computational biology · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42490652
- Role of Adipokines in Maternal Cardiac Function of Pregnancies Following Metabolic Bariatric Surgery. Obesity surgery · 4 Jun 2026 PMID 42240794
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (5)
- The PROM1+SMAD5+ Tumor-Initiating Subpopulation Shapes Premetastatic Niches through Spatial Multi-Omics Landscapes in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer. Cancer communications (London, England) · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42718887
- Gene expression of adipokines in placentas of cows from Northeastern Brazil with and without hyperketonemia and their interactions with metabolic biomarkers. Tropical animal health and production · 10 Aug 2026 PMID 42573864
- FGF21 synergizes with leptin to counteract obesity-related metabolic comorbidities by reversing hepatic leptin resistance. Cell metabolism · 16 Jul 2026 PMID 42462724
- Histone chaperone HIRA regulates adiponectin expression and obesity-associated adipose expansion by facilitating Pol II pause release. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 6 Jul 2026 PMID 42406969
- Adiponectin exerts sex-dependent effects on lipid, amino acid, and glucose metabolism during caloric restriction. PLoS biology · 18 Jun 2026 PMID 42313833
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (1)
- Exploring the potential role of ADIPOR2 related to immune microenvironment and metabolism dysfunction in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Medicine · 11 Jul 2026 PMID 42432956
Written from 13 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-07-12. Last written: 2026-09-18 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.