Brown and Beige Fat: Development, Function and Therapeutic Potential

Overview

Journal Nat Med

Specialties General Medicine
Molecular Biology

Date 2013 Oct 9

PMID 24100998

Citations 1109

Authors

Matthew Harms

Patrick Seale

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Adipose tissue, best known for its role in fat storage, can also suppress weight gain and metabolic disease through the action of specialized, heat-producing adipocytes. Brown adipocytes are located in dedicated depots and express constitutively high levels of thermogenic genes, whereas inducible 'brown-like' adipocytes, also known as beige cells, develop in white fat in response to various activators. The activities of brown and beige fat cells reduce metabolic disease, including obesity, in mice and correlate with leanness in humans. Many genes and pathways that regulate brown and beige adipocyte biology have now been identified, providing a variety of promising therapeutic targets for metabolic disease.

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