Brown adipocytes are promising cell targets to counteract obesity thanks to their potential to drain and oxidize circulating glucose and triglycerides. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), i.e., embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, help gain insight into the different phases in the development of multiple cell types. Differentiation of human PSCs into thermogenic adipocytes … Read more
A new approach to treating overweight and obesity Our fat cells, technically referred to as adipocytes, play an essential role in regulating energy balance in our body. “Adipocytes are not merely an energy storage for times of deprivation, but they also release hormones into the blood, regulating our metabolism as well as feelings of hunger … Read more
Many people might not realize that they have different types of body fat. Most of it is white fat that sits on your stomach, hips and thighs, for example. White fat is an energy storage that our body can use when food is scarce. White fat also produces and receives signals from a variety of … Read more
How brown fat improves metabolism At a Glance Researchers gained key insights into brown fat’s effects on the body’s metabolism. The findings reveal targets for developing new treatments for obesity and diabetes. Metabolism involves the chemical reactions that break down the food we eat into sugars, fats, and amino acids. We use these compounds for … Read more
Researchers used a modified CRISPR gene editing technique to target the fat cells of obese, diabetic mice. After 6 weeks, the animals had lost weight, and markers of type 2 diabetes had improved. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide were overweight, over 650 million of whom … Read more
Study may help lead to drugs aimed at diabetes and obesity Rutgers and other scientists have discovered how brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue, may help protect against obesity and diabetes. Their study in the journal Nature adds to our knowledge about the role of brown fat in human health and could lead … Read more
When cells change to a more specialized type, we call this process cellular differentiation. Scientists have revealed that protein secretions by skin cells known as keratinocytes control the differentiation of subsurface skin fat cells. This discovery could potentially help to treat obesity. Associate Professor Takehiko Ueyama and Professor Naoaki Saito at the Biosignal Research Center … Read more
Changes in DNA packaging curbed our body’s ability to turn ‘bad’ fat into ‘good’ fat Blame junk food or a lack of exercise. But long before the modern obesity epidemic, evolution made us fat too. “We’re the fat primates,” said Devi Swain-Lenz, a postdoctoral associate in biology at Duke University. The fact that humans are … Read more
Scientists from the University of Nottingham have discovered that drinking a cup of coffee can stimulate ‘brown fat’, the body’s own fat-fighting defenses, which could be the key to tackling obesity and diabetes. The pioneering study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, is one of the first to be carried out in humans to … Read more
CRISPR gene editing. It’s gone from an obscure biotech term to a household name in the past few years, in no small part due to a scientist who last year announced that he’d not only modified the DNA of human embryos but that two baby girls had been born carrying the edits he’d made. The … Read more