Obesity is a complex health problem, caused by a number of factors such as excessive food intake, lack of physical activity, genetic predisposition, endocrine disorders, medications and psychiatric illnesses. The incidence of obesity among populations in both the developing and the developed world has reached epidemic proportions. In response to this, efforts to control and treat obesity have also been vigorously pursued, ranging from activities focused on raising awareness about lifestyle changes to the discovery and development of safe and effective anti-obesity drugs. Anti-obesity Drug Discovery and Development is a book series focused on this very important area of healthcare research. Each volume presents insightful updates on pharmaceutical research and development for clinical researchers and healthcare professionals involved in obesity treatment programs. The fifth volume of this series is a compilation of 6 reviews of interesting topics on the subject that highlight different aspects of obesity treatment and management, some of which are novel approaches. Topics covered in this volume include: - the effect of sleep on weight and obesity management - AMPK as a postulated target for metabolic syndrome and obesity - Harnessing addiction neuroscience to treat obesity - Current treatment of obesity versus the next generation of anti-obesogenic drugs: an ecologically and sustainable approach to health - Leptin and leptin sensitizers for the treatment of obesity related conditions - MicroRNAs as targets for the management of obesity

Animal models of diseases play a pivotal role in drug discovery and development, not only for proof of the concept studies of efficacy, PK/PD relationship but also for drug safety assessment. Since considerable differences in variables exist between animal models and human models (such as genetics, physiology, anatomy, gene expression, heterogeneity of disease conditions, etc.), not all the preclinical models are able to represent the pathophysiological conditions in human diseases. Therefore, partly due to the lack of congruency between animal and human disease models, several proposed therapeutic agents in the past decades have been demonstrated to be effective in preclinical models but failed in clinical studies. This e-book focuses on animal models of diseases from a translational perspective and highlights the key advantages and limitations of each model described to facilitate drug discovery and development. A unique feature of the volume is that it contains a selection of details disease models in various therapeutic niches with significant unmet medical needs, including inflammation, neurological diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and oncology. This e-book is, therefore, of considerable value to researchers and clinicians involved in drug discovery and development as well as pathology.