Dissecting the origin of inducible brown fat in adult humans through a novel adipose stem cell model from adipose tissue surrounding pheochromocytoma.

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

• 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)

Context The recent discovery of inducible brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans, in which it is involved in controlling adiposity, is pivotal in the development of treatment strategies for obesity. However, the origin of these adipocytes in white adipose tissue (WAT) is still unclear, and no human brown adipose cell models are currently available. Objective The objective of the study was to define the origin of inducible BAT (iBAT) by isolating brown adipose stem cells (B-ASCs) from periadrenal fat in adult patients with catecholamine-secreting pheochromocytoma. Design This was a 1-year study to enroll adrenal tumor patients undergoing surgery. Setting The study was conducted at a university hospital. Patients and intervention Eight patients operated for pheochromocytoma and three for adrenocortical adenoma participated in the study. Main outcome measures Isolation of inducible B-ASCs from fat surrounding the pheochromocytoma was measured. Results We demonstrated the presence of iBAT islets dispersed in periadrenal WAT in patients operated for pheochromocytoma. From this fat depot, which expresses brite/classical BAT markers and high levels of uncoupling protein-1, we isolated B-ASCs and compared their properties with precursors from sc WAT (S-ASC) of the same patients. B-ASCs showed mesenchymal, stem, and multipotency features and expression of brite/classical BAT markers

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

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