ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

Preface: This year, many new mechanisms and new concepts have been described in neuroendocrinology. Investigating physiology or pathogenic mechanisms but also developing biological markers of neuroendocrine dysfunctions in humans is very challenging. Several strategies are needed: dosage of neuropeptides in the cerebrospinal fluid, genome-wide association studies in very large population studies, classical genetic investigation in mice but also studies on invertebrates to understand how neuroendocrine mechanisms have been conserved. All of these approaches contribute to the understanding of neuroendocrine regulations. We also report in this chapter an update on Kisspeptin neurons. With the improvement of techniques to investigate neuronal activity, and also to control cell activity in hypothalamic neurons, it is now possible to precisely dissect a group of neurons at different stages of development or after birth. Kisspeptin neurons represent one example of the power of these approaches.