Molecular Genetic Architecture of Morbid Obesity in Russian Children

<b>Background</b>: Over the past few decades, the prevalence of obesity has significantly increased worldwide, particularly among children. This trend represents a global health challenge. Considering the pivotal role of obesity in the development of metabolic disorders, the identification and characterization of pathogenic gene variants in children with severe forms of obesity are key priorities in fundamental endocrinology. <b>Methods</b>: We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 163 Russian children with morbid obesity and identified 96 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in 61 genes. These variants were clinically significant in 64 children (38.79% of the cohort). <b>Results</b>: Notably, 42 of the identified variants have not been previously described in the literature or reported in existing databases. <b>Conclusions</b>: The findings of this study will enable a more personalized approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with syndromic and polygenic forms of obesity. Moreover, these results advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of obesity in the Russian population.