Brown adipose tissue: a promising target to combat obesity.
Obesity has now reached pandemic proportions leading to a collection of morbidities referred to as metabolic syndrome including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The expansion of adipose tissue is a direct cause of these comorbidities due to excessive accumulation of triglycerides within adipocytes, causing disruption of normal adipose function. There are two major types of adipose tissue, white and brown. The former stores energy as triglycerides within large droplets, whereas the latter catabolizes lipids to produce heat. A strategy to combat obesity-associated disorders, therefore, includes enhancement of brown adipose tissue activity by targeting the recently identified regulators of brown adipocyte development and function, including its master regulator, PRDM16.
Vernochet
Cecile
C
Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA.
McDonald
Meghan E
ME
Farmer
Stephen R
SR
D052437:Adipocytes, Brown / Q000378:metabolism; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C416371:PRDM16 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014280:Triglycerides