Adipose tissue is the major energy storage site in mammals and other species. During pre- and postnatal development (as well as excessive caloric intake), adipose tissue expands through a combination of adipocyte growth (hypertrophy) or de novo genesis of adipocytes (hyperplasia). In addition to the increase in adipocyte size/number, there are changes to the tissue’s extracellular matrix (ECM), innervation, and vascularization. The immune cell composition is also altered. Each of these
components need to work together synergistically to retain adipose tissue function. However, during obesity associated adipose expansion, there is sometimes dysfunction of the adipocytes, resulting in inflammation and spillover of lipids to other organs. This can lead to the development of systemic insulin resistance, as well as metabolic syndrome.
Maintaining or restoring adipose tissue function is a prerequisite to develop efficient pharmacological therapies to prevent or treat metabolic syndrome. To address this, all components and cellular players of adipose tissue need to be considered. A holistic view needs to be taken to understand how adipocyte function is modulated.
The aim of this research topic is to provide a holistic view of adipogenesis, and to compare this between development and obesity.
In general, promoting hyperplasia over hypertrophy is seen as a center piece in promoting healthy adipose tissue expansion. Recent advances in scRNAseq and knockout studies have provided new insights into the complexity of adipogenesis. We would like to build on this knowledge, to explore different ways of promoting de novo adipogenesis, and to further understand the pre-adipocyte niche. We would also like to provide new insights on the interactions between the pre-adipocytes and different tissues – the endothelium, sympathetic nervous system, and immune cell population. By understanding how adipose expansion occurs during development, we can compare with the expansion that occurs during obesity and how the functionality of the tissue is affected. Together, these new insights should help in the eventual development of therapies and treatments for obesity-related disorders.
In this research topic, we welcome Reviews and Original Research articles that help to provide a holistic view of adipocyte/ stromal/ ECM interactions during development and obesity. This will allow us to highlight the developmental pathways promoting healthy adipose tissue expansion and compare them to the changes within adult adipose tissue upon excessive weight gain. In particular, we focus on the following points:
Adipose tissue development, and how this may differ between species
Clinical characteristics of healthy adipose tissue expansion
Role of the sympathetic nervous system, the vasculature and immune cells in the preadipocyte
niche
The role of (Pre-) adipocyte heterogeneity in the predisposition to adipocyte dysfunction
Central signaling pathways in adipocytes maintaining adipocyte function
Adipose tissue is the major energy storage site in mammals and other species. During pre- and postnatal development (as well as excessive caloric intake), adipose tissue expands through a combination of adipocyte growth (hypertrophy) or de novo genesis of adipocytes (hyperplasia). In addition to the increase in adipocyte size/number, there are changes to the tissue’s extracellular matrix (ECM), innervation, and vascularization. The immune cell composition is also altered. Each of these
components need to work together synergistically to retain adipose tissue function. However, during obesity associated adipose expansion, there is sometimes dysfunction of the adipocytes, resulting in inflammation and spillover of lipids to other organs. This can lead to the development of systemic insulin resistance, as well as metabolic syndrome.
Maintaining or restoring adipose tissue function is a prerequisite to develop efficient pharmacological therapies to prevent or treat metabolic syndrome. To address this, all components and cellular players of adipose tissue need to be considered. A holistic view needs to be taken to understand how adipocyte function is modulated.
The aim of this research topic is to provide a holistic view of adipogenesis, and to compare this between development and obesity.
In general, promoting hyperplasia over hypertrophy is seen as a center piece in promoting healthy adipose tissue expansion. Recent advances in scRNAseq and knockout studies have provided new insights into the complexity of adipogenesis. We would like to build on this knowledge, to explore different ways of promoting de novo adipogenesis, and to further understand the pre-adipocyte niche. We would also like to provide new insights on the interactions between the pre-adipocytes and different tissues – the endothelium, sympathetic nervous system, and immune cell population. By understanding how adipose expansion occurs during development, we can compare with the expansion that occurs during obesity and how the functionality of the tissue is affected. Together, these new insights should help in the eventual development of therapies and treatments for obesity-related disorders.
In this research topic, we welcome Reviews and Original Research articles that help to provide a holistic view of adipocyte/ stromal/ ECM interactions during development and obesity. This will allow us to highlight the developmental pathways promoting healthy adipose tissue expansion and compare them to the changes within adult adipose tissue upon excessive weight gain. In particular, we focus on the following points:
Adipose tissue development, and how this may differ between species
Clinical characteristics of healthy adipose tissue expansion
Role of the sympathetic nervous system, the vasculature and immune cells in the preadipocyte
niche
The role of (Pre-) adipocyte heterogeneity in the predisposition to adipocyte dysfunction
Central signaling pathways in adipocytes maintaining adipocyte function