thats a pretty difficult question to answer. New hormones and new functions of existing hormones are being found all the time. In my opinion there are classes of hormones released by muscle and fat cells called myokines and adipokines. Their presence and activity has recently been identified. These have lots of actions that are still being explored and I think they might turn out to have a lot of uses to doctors trying to treat some diseases where muscle or fat are a part of the problem.
The really exciting thing about hormones is that new ones are being discovered. As Craig said we know know that hormones ae produced not only be the ‘classic’ endocrine glands but by fat, muscle cells, bone, the immune system and other systems. Which one is more important? Well I like to think it is those hormones that we can specifically target to treat diseases.
I agree with Saffron and Craig. There are continually discoveries of hormones or how they act.
I got quite excited about one. It was called “betatrophin”. It appeared to cause mice to produce insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells at up to 30 times the normal rate. It could replace insulin injections by increasing the number of endogenous insulin-producing cells in diabetics.
However…..a follow-up study by an independent group of researchers found that the hormone is not required for β cell function or growth. Betatrophin is now called Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8).
That’s science for you – sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s then a case of finding out why it didn’t work and what can be done to change things….or what can be looked at next!
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