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Research progress of fMRI in the neural mechanisms linking the FTO gene to obesity
ZHANG Xiaolu  LIU Ao  LIN Xinbei  SUN Yongbing  LI Xin  ZOU Zhi  LI Zhonglin  WU Xiaoling  WANG Yong  MA Xiao  HAO Yibin  LIU Min  LI Yongli 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.022.


[Abstract] Obesity has become a global public health issue, exerting significant impacts on both individuals and society. The development of obesity results from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, with genetic factors playing a significant role in determining susceptibility to obesity. The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene, as the first obesity-related gene identified through Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), has garnered extensive attention. Meanwhile, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology, a non-invasive imaging method, also plays a crucial role in the study of the neural mechanisms underlying obesity. This article aims to review the application of the FTO gene and fMRI technology in exploring obesity treatment, with the hope of providing new insights into the prevention and treatment of obesity. It also analyses the limitations of current research and outlines future research directions.
[Keywords] obesity；fat mass and obesity-associated gene；neuroimaging；functional magnetic resonance imaging；magnetic resonance imaging；neural mechanism

ZHANG Xiaolu1   LIU Ao1   LIN Xinbei2   SUN Yongbing1   LI Xin3   ZOU Zhi2   LI Zhonglin2   WU Xiaoling4   WANG Yong5   MA Xiao6   HAO Yibin7   LIU Min8   LI Yongli9*  

1 Department of Medical Imaging, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China

2 Department of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China

3 Department of Medical Imaging, Henan University People's Hospital/Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China

4 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China

5 Department of General Practice, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China

6 Medical Examination Center, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China

7 Hospital Offices, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China

8 Department of Hypertension, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China

9 Department of Health Management, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Disease, Zhengzhou 450003, China

Corresponding author: LI Y L, E-mail: shyliyongli@126.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-08-31
Accepted  2025-12-05
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.022
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.022.

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