Future research should explore the role of other novel markers related to obesity and inflammation such as neuropeptide Y (NPY, a neurotransmitter responsible for increasing food intake and causing growth in fat tissue), adiponectin (a protein that regulates glucose levels and fatty acid breakdown) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-17). The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.