A recent study provides new insights into the role that beige adipose tissue and inflammatory cytokines in the body play in obesity. In the future, these findings could help find new methods for treating metabolic disorders and obesity. The research revealed the mechanism by which cytokines promote beige adipose tissue and so onPrevent obesity and other metabolic diseases.
Signal molecules of immune cells and beige adipose tissue against obesity
Not all fats stored in the body are harmful to health. Typically there are two types of fatty tissue: brown and white. Brown fat helps convert food into heat, while white fat is responsible for storing calories. Therefore, excess white fat can lead to obesity. However, scientists have discovered a different type of fat cell in human adults, known as beige adipose tissue. Normally, these cells burn energy in a similar way to brown fat, rather than storing it like white fat. Administration of interleukin-25, a cytokine, to mice on a high-fat diet prevented the development of obesity in the study. It also improved their responsiveness to insulin. In addition, high concentrations of these cytokines promoted the production of such fat cells. The animals gained less weight and showed improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
The potential clinical implication of this study is that the authors were able to stimulate the body to increase the production of beige fat. This would in turn burn more calories. One way to increase beige fat is to apply cold to the body, especially in the neck and shoulder areas. However, this is very uncomfortable for most people. Perhaps a drug that causes the release of cytokines could be an easier way to achieve this. Although the very early resultsthis studyappear promising, they would not be able to replace current weight loss methods in the near future. Much more research is needed to prove its effectiveness before this therapy could be applied to humans.
