Scientists in California have tested ways to get certain fat cells to burn calories instead of simply store energy. In a new study in mice, the team discovered that they can convert existing white fat cells into calorie-burning beige fat cells, a discovery that could pave the way for new kinds of obesity treatments, the study authors say.
Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, were trying to get to the root of a problem that has long plagued others in the field: Our fat cells come in three basic types: white, brown, and beige. White fat cells are primarily designed to store energy, while brown fat cells are designed to store fat. Brown fat cells They play an important role in stabilizing body temperature: when it’s cold, these cells burn sugar and fat to keep you warm. Recently discovered Beige fat cells, on the other hand, can perform both types of functions, storing and burning energy when needed. These cells are found within white fat cell reserves.
Most of the fat cells in our bodies are white fat cells (we lose most of our brown fat cells by the time we reach the age of one). These cells are important as a secondary or emergency source of energy. But having too much white fat (also called visceral fat), especially stored around the abdomen, can be dangerous to your health. This excess of white fat is common in obese people, Chronic inflammation The symptoms it causes can also lead to other problems, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Scientists have long theorized that finding a way to reliably switch white fat cells into brown or beige fat cells could help prevent or treat these related problems (our bodies can naturally convert white fat cells into brown/beige fat cells, but only in small amounts, usually through exercise or exposure to cold). But so far, these efforts have yet to produce a safe and effective treatment. In this latest study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the UCSF team says they’ve come up with a promising new approach.
The research group had previously found evidence in mice that a protein called KLF-15 is important for distinguishing white fat cells from beige/brown fat cells. In mice, KLF-15 was more abundant in brown and beige fat cells than in white fat cells. So the team decided to breed mice in which KLF-15 was completely eliminated from their white fat cells. Suddenly, the mice’s white fat cells became much more efficient at converting into beige fat cells.
Subsequent experiments in human fat cells showed that KLF-15 interacts with a specific receptor called Adrb1, which is key in controlling the switch from white to beige fat cells, and the team argue that it should be possible to find drugs that can reverse this switch in humans.
“A lot of people thought this was impossible to achieve,” said Brian Feldman, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, and lead author of the paper. statement“We showed that not only is this approach effective at converting white fat cells to beige fat cells, but that the hurdles to getting there are not as high as previously thought.”
This is just one study in mice; more research is needed to know if these processes can be safely manipulated in humans. But if this research continues to bear fruit, it could lead to new drugs for obesity and related problems. With any real luck, these treatments will be safe and avoid the unpleasant side effects, such as nausea and gastrointestinal upset, that accompany the latest obesity drugs.
“While we’re not there yet, it’s clear that these findings could have a major impact on obesity treatment,” Feldman said.