About this Research Topic

Background

Adipose, or fat tissue, is the largest endocrine organ in humans and in other cases, can be the largest organ in an obese individual. Adipose tissue plays a pivotal role in age-related metabolic dysfunction and longevity. With old age, fat distribution shifts from subcutaneous to visceral fat depots, while triglycerides ectopically deposit on liver, muscle, bone marrow, and heart. These changes are associated to the development and progression of a variety of age-associated diseases.

Human aging is characterized by a chronic, low-grade inflammation that develops in various aging tissues. This phenomenon is termed ‘inflammaging’. Among the major source of inflammaging immunosenescence, self-debris, senescent cells, mitochondria dysfunction, microbiome, and adipose tissue can be included. Similar to inflammaging, obesity is linked to a systemic, chronic, low-grade inflammation. Adipose tissue inflammation in obesity is also termed ‘metaflammation’.

Whether inflammaging and metaflammation share common inflammatory pathways or have similar sources of inflammation, including the role of different fat depots, are important questions. It is likely there are fundamental differences between diet- versus age-dependent obesity, given the widespread immunological and physiological changes that are known to occur in old age.

This Research Topic will address the main open questions in this field such as:
• Sarcopenic obesity
• White and brown adipose tissue in aging and longevity
• Visceral and subcutaneous fat distribution in aging
• The role of perilipins in aging
• The role of diet in body composition in longevity

Keywords: Adipose tissue, Body fat, Aging, Longevity, Perilipins

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