Melanocortin system

The **melanocortin system** is a complex network comprising several peptide hormones derived from proopiomelanocortin (POMC), five G protein-coupled melanocortin receptors (MC1R–MC5R), two endogenous antagonists (agouti and agouti-related protein/AgRP), and accessory proteins such as MRAPs. This signaling axis regulates diverse physiological functions including pigmentation, steroid hormone production, energy balance, inflammation control, sexual behavior, exocrine gland activity, pain perception, immune response modulation, temperature regulation, cardiovascular function, and neuromuscular repair[1][3][4][5]. The term "melanocortin system" refers to an integrated set of pathways rather than a single molecular target; thus it is not considered a therapeutic target itself but rather encompasses multiple druggable targets within its components[1][2][5]. **Note:** The query refers to "melanocortin system" as if it were a discrete molecule or receptor. In reality it describes an interconnected biological pathway made up of multiple distinct molecules—including several well-characterized therapeutic targets such as MC4R ("Melanocortin 4 receptor") or MC1R ("Melanocortin 1 receptor"). For structured data purposes you should select one of these individual entities if you require information on a druggable target[1][2][6].