Several French institutes are conducting cutting-edge research on obesity. The Institut Cochin (Inserm/CNRS/Université Paris Cité) in Paris is engaged in obesity research, particularly looking at the cellular and molecular mechanisms and genetic factors that contribute to obesity and related diseases like type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.

The team ‘Immunology and genetics of diabetes and endocrine diseases’, directed by Agnès Lehuen and Jacques Beltrand, focuses on the role of immune cells (such as MAIT cells), and the interaction between metabolism and inflammation in obesity and associated complications.
Research is also directed at understanding the impact of circadian rhythms on metabolism and obesity. The team has also explored the genetic regulation of obesity and is looking into how circadian genes, such as Bmal2, influence obesity development.

The ‘Functional Pharmacology and Pathophysiology of Membrane Receptors’ team, directed by Ralf Jockers and Julie Dam, focuses on understanding the role of membrane receptors in metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes.
Their research encompasses the study of the Leptin and Melatonin Receptors, and the identification of new genes linked to obesity, in particularly G protein-coupled receptors and Endospanin 1, which have strong therapeutic potential. The team is part of the European OBELISK network, dedicated to study new rare genetic forms of obesity.

Through these studies, the teams at Institut Cochin and their partners aim to uncover mechanisms underlying obesity and develop potential therapeutic strategies.