Adipocytes News and Research

RSS

Omega-3 fatty acids can stimulate activation of brown and beige adipose tissues, study finds

Omega-3 fatty acids are able to stimulate the activation of brown and beige adipose tissues, a discovery that would promote the development of new therapies for obesity and other metabolism diseases, according to a research study published in the journal Nature Communications under the supervision of Professor Francesc Villarroya, from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine and the Biomedical Research Center Red-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) of the Institute of Health Carlos III.

21 Nov 2016

Epigenetic enzyme plays key role in maintaining metabolic properties of brown fat, research shows

In mammals, three types of adipose tissues exist. White adipocytes are mainly located in the abdominal and subcutaneous areas of the body and highly adapted to store excess energy.

31 Oct 2016

MGH researchers discover how obesity increases inflammation, desmoplasia in PDAC patients

Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have discovered the mechanism by which obesity increases inflammation and desmoplasia - an accumulation of connective tissue - in the most common form of pancreatic cancer.

7 Jul 2016

Scientists identify lipodystrophy-causing mutation in a single family

Lipodystrophy syndromes are characterized by an abnormal distribution of adipose tissue and metabolic dysfunction. These disorders are rare and the underlying genetic abnormalities that lead to altered fat distribution are not fully known.

16 Jun 2016

TAK1 deficit protects mice from obesity

Obesity and subsequent complications are increasing in frequency worldwide. The accumulation of adipose tissue is associated with increased inflammation, and it has been proposed that modification of proinflammatory responses could alter adipose tissue composition.

20 May 2016

Low adiponectin levels may lead to development of PTSD symptoms

Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relive past traumas again and again, bound in a virtual prison of their memories.

12 May 2016

Study shows over-expression of adhesion molecules in fat tissues protects mice from obesity, diabetes

Okayama University researchers report that the overexpression of an adhesion molecule found on the surface of fat cells appears to protect mice from developing obesity and diabetes. The findings, published in the journal Diabetes, March 2016, may fuel the development of new therapies targeting these diseases.

9 May 2016

Studies show mango consumption may contribute to protective health effects

Four new studies surrounding the effects of mango consumption suggest this superfruit has the potential to help combat adverse effects associated with high fat diets and obesity (animal study), as well inhibit growth of fat cells (anti-lipogenic properties in an in-vivo study), slow advancement of breast cancer tumors (animal study), as well as improve regularity and decrease inflammation associated with constipation (human subject study).

6 May 2016

Mutated gene GT198 has strong potential in early diagnosis of breast cancer

When mutated, a gene known for its ability to repair DNA, appears to instead cause breast cancer, scientists report.

21 Mar 2016

MicroRNA can help combat obesity and diabetes

Obesity, which is associated with low-grade inflammation, is an important contributor in the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. While the role of several organs including adipose tissue have been implicated in this process, the cell types and factors driving this process have not been clear.

16 Mar 2016

TRPV2 could be a target for obesity therapy

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), a major site for mammalian non-shivering thermogenesis, could be a target for prevention and treatment of human obesity. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2), a Ca2+-permeable cation channel, plays vital roles in the regulation of various cellular functions.

14 Mar 2016

Breast cancer can be more aggressive in obese people

An international team of researchers, with the participation of the University of Granada, has revealed new data on why breast cancer has a higher incidence and is more aggressive in obese people. The reason is that peritumoral fat (the fat around the tumor) facilitates the expansion and invasion of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are responsible of the onset and growth of the tumor.

11 Mar 2016

Mice with lymphatic defects develop obesity late in life

Lymphatic vessels play multifaceted roles in the body, including the absorption of dietary lipid in the intestines as well as the movement of immune cells throughout the body. Previous work by Guillermo Oliver and colleagues showed that mice with lymphatic defects due to loss of one copy of the Prox1 gene developed obesity late in life.

27 Feb 2016

Beiging of white fat could be harnessed to combat diabetes

Researchers are getting closer to learning how to turn white fat cells into brown fat cells, in a process called "beiging," to bring down blood sugar levels and fight diabetes. The team, led by Joseph Baur, PhD, an assistant professor of Physiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published their findings this month in the journal Diabetes.

18 Feb 2016

Beige-fat formation could be harnessed to fight diabetes

Researchers are getting closer to learning how to turn white fat cells into brown fat cells, in a process called "beiging," to bring down blood sugar levels and fight diabetes.

17 Feb 2016

Research points to potential use of radiotherapy in treating systemic cancer

An international team of researchers lead by the University of Granada has proven that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) may be used as enhancer agents of local and systemic effects of radiotherapy, that is to say, those which affect the irradiated tumour and tumour cells located at a certain distance of the irradiated ones.

30 Jan 2016

Study opens new avenues for treatment of prostate cancer in obese patients

Obesity has direct consequences on health and is associated with the onset of aggressive cancers, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are little known. Researchers from the Institut de Pharmacologie et he Biologie Structurale (CNRS/Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier) have recently elucidated one of these mechanisms in prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers in men: in obese patients, the adipose tissue surrounding the prostate gland facilitates the propagation of tumor cells outside the prostate.

13 Jan 2016

New report raises questions about potential risks of chromium therapies

Chromium supplements are widely consumed for their antidiabetic activity as chromium(III) enhances the insulin sensitivity of cells. In particular, orthomolecular practitioners believe in the beneficial effects of providing the body with extra amounts of essential trace elements.

6 Jan 2016

Research shows how scientists altered stem cells, triggered bone growth

Imagine you have a bone fracture or a hip replacement, and you need bone to form, but you heal slowly - a common fact of life for older people. Instead of forming bone, you could form fat. Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine may have found a way to tip the scale in favor of bone formation. They used cytochalasin D, a naturally occurring substance found in mold, as a proxy to alter gene expression in the nuclei of mesenchymal stem cells to force them to become osteoblasts (bone cells).

17 Nov 2015

High levels of satiety hormone leptin contribute to cardiovascular disease in obese individuals

While high levels of the satiety hormone leptin don't help obese individuals lose weight, they do appear to directly contribute to their cardiovascular disease, researchers report.

8 Oct 2015