肥胖已是一流行性疾病，而肥胖或過重容易引發其他慢性疾病，包括心血管疾病、第二型糖尿病、癌症及關節炎等，因此瞭解肥胖的致病機轉與積極開發抗肥胖藥物是刻不容緩的問題。

肥胖的特性為脂肪細胞增生與肥大，造成脂肪組織過多堆積。脂肪組織依功能及型態可分為白色脂肪組織（white adipose tissue, WAT）及棕色脂肪組織（brown adipose tissue, BAT）。白色脂肪組織是三酸甘油脂主要貯存處，而棕色脂肪組織則在環境溫度降低時，透過粒線體 uncoupling protein 1（UCP-1）蛋白質的作用，以產熱方式消耗能量，維持體溫恆定。

因此，若能透過藥物減少白色脂肪組織堆積，或增加類棕色脂肪細胞的形成與活性，將有助於增加能量消耗，進而預防或治療肥胖。

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