Beige fat

In 2012, researchers opened up a promising new avenue in the pursuit of advanced treatments for obesity with the discovery of "beige fat." A study has now uncovered an immune cell that activates this form of fat in mice.

Researchers have found that blocking the uptake of a specific hormone prompts the burning of stores of beige fat in mice. The researchers say this regulatory mechanism provides a new target for the development of drugs that combat obesity by boosting the burning of stored fat in the human body.