title: White-to-brown metabolic conversion of human adipocytes by JAK inhibition.
abstract: The rising incidence of obesity and related disorders such as diabetes and heart disease has focused considerable attention on the discovery of new therapeutics. One promising approach has been to increase the number or activity of brown-like adipocytes in white adipose depots, as this has been shown to prevent diet-induced obesity and reduce the incidence and severity of type 2 diabetes. Thus, the conversion of fat-storing cells into metabolically active thermogenic cells has become an appealing therapeutic strategy to combat obesity. Here, we report a screening platform for the identification of small molecules capable of promoting a white-to-brown metabolic conversion in human adipocytes. We identified two inhibitors of Janus kinase (JAK) activity with no precedent in adipose tissue biology that stably confer brown-like metabolic activity to white adipocytes. Importantly, these metabolically converted adipocytes exhibit elevated UCP1 expression and increased mitochondrial activity. We further found that repression of interferon signalling and activation of hedgehog signalling in JAK-inactivated adipocytes contributes to the metabolic conversion observed in these cells. Our findings highlight a previously unknown role for the JAK-STAT pathway in the control of adipocyte function and establish a platform to identify compounds for the treatment of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moisan
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Massachusetts 02138, USA [2] Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Youn-Kyoung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jitao David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Massachusetts 02138, USA [2] Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hudak
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claas A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prummer
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sannah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zoffmann
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hoa Hue
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiialainen
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Régine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gérard
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Massachusetts 02138, USA [2] Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Massachusetts 02138, USA [2] Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Schinzel
authors.affiliation: Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel CH 4070, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kurt E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Amrein
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Massachusetts 02138, USA [2] Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Chad A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cowan
mesh_terms: D052437:Adipocytes, Brown / Q000166:cytology*; D052438:Adipocytes, White / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053613:Janus Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D053616:Janus Kinase 3 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D010078:Oxazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C525819:BMP7 protein, human; D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C510788:N4-(2,2-dimethyl-3-oxo-4H-pyrid(1,4)oxazin-6-yl)-5-fluoro-N2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-2,4-pyrimidinediamine; D010078:Oxazines; D010880:Piperidines; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011758:Pyrroles; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C000604371:UCP1 protein, human; C000604372:Ucp1 protein, mouse; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C479163:tofacitinib; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D053616:Janus Kinase 3; C000541:cyclopamine