Scientists discover new clues about fat cell formation

In new research published in Nature, researchers say they’ve captured a detailed snapshot of how the body’s fat cells form.

MATURE HUMAN FAT CELLS ON THE LEFT, MOUSE FAT ON THE RIGHT. THE NEWLY DISCOVERED CELLS THAT CAN SUPPRESS MATURE FAT CELL FORMATION ARE HIGHLIGHTED BY ARROWS. (BART DEPLANCKE / EPFL)

In models of type 2 diabetes, the body sometimes stops making mature fat cells in s0-called “fat depots,” even when there are the right precursor cells around. That leads to a build-up of fat in other places, like the liver. Researchers wanted to understand why that happens, so they used a high-resolution technique to study cell behavior inside the mouse and human fat tissue. They found a type of stromal cells that actually suppresses the formation of mature fat cells. “Manipulating the activity of these [cells] may lead to better fat depot management, favoring the formation of fat cells, which will lead to better overall metabolic health,” study author Bart Deplancke of EPFL tells me.