Beige fat

Brown fat cells derived from cells expressing the Trpv1 receptor, seen in green, have opened up interesting new pathways for the treatment of obesity

Medical

Brown fat cell discovery opens new doors for obesity treatment

Much research into obesity of late has focused on ways they body might be made to produce more brown fat rather than white as a way of fighting weight gain, and scientists have now made a key advance in this area.

A new understanding of how a type of immune cell can drive beige fat formation in mice could lead to new therapies for obesity

Medical

Rare type of immune cell found to protect against obesity in mice

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 uncovered a new target for drugs to help those struggling to lose weight

Medical

Restricting hormone uptake boosts the burning of beige 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.