WIKIMEDIA, BIGPLANKTONThe ability of beige fat tissue to burn energy by producing heat has made it an appealing target for a potential obesity therapy. In studies to find out what turns on these calorie-chewing cells, two independent teams ended up converging upon the same innate immune pathway. Their papers, published today (June 5) in Cell, demonstrate that beige fat activation relies upon the signaling of particular interleukins and the activation of adipose tissue macrophages.
“The big surprise is that there’s an immune pathway that regulates thermogenesis,” said Peter Tontonoz, who studies lipid signaling at the University of California, Los Angeles, and who did not participate in the research. “[This is] a new function for the innate immune system beyond pathogen response.”
Beige fat is an energy-burning form of adipose tissue embedded in white fat, the energy-storing kind. It’s similar to brown fat, which also burns calories, but beige and brown fat have different cellular lineages. Both are not typically abundant in adult humans, and scientists are pursuing the idea that “browning” or “beiging” white adipose tissue—essentially, turning white fat into beige fat—in obese people could help them shed weight.
It’s known that cold exposure can stimulate the production of ...
