Subtypes of fat cells identified
New building block for personalised obesity medicine
In an international study, researchers looked at different types of fat cells in human adipose tissue. Using innovative technology, they identified unique subpopulations of fat cells for the first time and noted differences in intercellular communication between human adipose tissues. The research, which also involved scientists from Leipzig University, has been published in the journal Nature Genetics. It will form the basis for further investigations to advance personalised medicine for obesity.
In the past 20 years, scientists’ understanding of adipose tissue has been revolutionised by the recognition that it regulates numerous biological processes, such as appetite and satiety, through hormones. However, it is not yet clear which adipose tissue cells play the decisive role in these processes. For this reason, this international study examined the cellular composition of adipose tissue in healthy people using a new method called single-cell sequencing. Samples from the Leipzig Obesity BioBank played a key role.
Researchers led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel discovered that there are specialised fat cells in human adipose tissue that differ significantly in terms of their biological function. “The ‘classic’ fat cells play a role in glucose and fat metabolism, while the ‘non-classic’ fat cells are important in inflammatory processes, the development of fibrosis in adipose tissue and the formation of new blood vessels. There are dynamic transitions between these cell subtypes,” says Matthias Blüher, Professor of Clinical Obesity at Leipzig University and co-author of the study.
The scientists also found that inflammation and dysfunction of the adipose tissue appears to be different for certain fat deposits – such as visceral fat or subcutaneous adipose tissue. The cellular composition of adipose tissue is highly dependent on the inflammatory response in the tissue. Professors Antje Körner and Martin Gericke from Leipzig University were also involved in the scientific publication.
Cells labelled with barcodes
The study employed an innovative technology called single-cell sequencing, which maps RNA molecules – the key intermediaries in translating the genome into proteins. This method works by tagging the RNA of each cell with a unique ‘barcode’. In this way, thousands of cells within the tissue are simultaneously labelled, enabling the identification of cells with similar RNA subsets as belonging to the same cell type, while those with different subsets are recognised as distinct cell types. When the technology was applied to samples of adipose tissue, it identified known cell types that make up the tissue, such as blood vessel cells, immune system cells and, surprisingly, previously uncharacterised subtypes.
The research project is continuing and the next step will be to investigate the conditions of pathological changes in adipose tissue, for example in cases of severe obesity or lipoedema, a condition in which subcutaneous adipose tissue is increased and can cause severe pain.
Original publication
Or Lazarescu, Maya Ziv-Agam, Yulia Haim, Idan Hekselman, Juman Jubran, Ariel Shneyour, Habib Muallem, Alon Zemer, Marina Rosengarten-Levin, Daniel Kitsberg, ... Antje Körner, Rinki Murphy, Matthias Blüher, Naomi Habib, Assaf Rudich, Esti Yeger-Lotem; "Human subcutaneous and visceral adipocyte atlases uncover classical and nonclassical adipocytes and depot-specific patterns"; Nature Genetics, Volume 57, 2025-1-24
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