Interestingly, it has also been reported that leptin synthesized and secreted by adipose tissues, after binding to its specific receptor on tumor cells, activates an intracellular signaling pathway that recruits transcription factors to the promoter of the TGF-β1 gene, increasing synthesis and secretion of TGF-β1 by tumor cells21. The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is neoplasm.