Final Report Summary - ADIPODIF (Adipocyte Differentiation and Metabolic Functions in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes)
Adipose tissue has been considered to be an pure energy storage organ. Recent years have led to the revival of adipose tissue and has moved it to the forefront of the public and scientific awareness. In contrast to many believes adipose tissue is necessary to ensure a healthy metabolism and metabolic diseases can under many circumstances be corrected by activating adipose tissue formation and function. The main outcomes of this work were the identification of new regulatory nodes that control the formation of adipose tissue in obese subjects. We could show that we can modulate these processes in animal models through genetic manipulations but also through nutritional intervention with natural compounds found in our diet. Activating adipose tissue formation can restore metabolic health and can help to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes. The insight from animal experiments is currently been translated into a clinical settings and will hopefully lead to the development of new therapies to treat metabolic disorders. On the other hand we could show that two types of fat, namely white and brown fat can inter-convert into each other. This finding is very interesting as it will allow us to devise strategies to turn "bad" fat into metabolically active fat. In animal models this process can lead to weight loss and can thus be used to treat obesity at its root by increasing the energy expenditure of a whole organism.