Adipose Tissue as a Target for Precision Medicine Approaches in Childhood Obesity

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Following the trends of the adult obesity epidemic, and worsened by school disruptions during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, childhood obesity prevalence has reached unprecedented levels. The health implications for this generation are especially concerning, as childhood-onset obesity has more severe health consequences than weight gain that begins in adulthood, including increased risk of type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications. The complexity of obesity treatment has been challenging, including remarkable heterogeneity in obesity phenotypes and treatment responses among both adults and children. Many in the field have therefore highlighted a need for precision medicine approaches in obesity treatment across age-groups. This includes a need for precision risk stratification to better target treatment intensity, which will require a better understanding of the earliest stages of metabolic syndrome pathophysiology. The health, function, and distribution of adipose tissue have been established as important determinants of metabolic health in both childhood- and adult-onset obesity, making adipose tissue a promising target for understanding phenotypic heterogeneity in obesity. Here, we provide a brief overview of the current limited understanding of adipose tissue biology during childhood development and discuss opportunities for further research into adipose-ce

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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