Exploring the activated adipogenic niche: interactions of macrophages and adipocyte progenitors.

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)

Adult adipose tissue contains a large supply of progenitors that can renew fat cells for homeostatic tissue maintenance and adaptive growth or regeneration in response to external challenges. However, the in vivo mechanisms that control adipocyte progenitor behavior are poorly characterized. We recently demonstrated that recruitment of adipocyte progenitors by macrophages is a central feature of adipose tissue remodeling under various adipogenic conditions. Catabolic remodeling of white adipose tissue by β3-adrenergic receptor stimulation requires anti-inflammatory M2-polarized macrophages to clear dying adipocytes and to recruit new brown adipocytes from progenitors. In this Extra Views article, we discuss in greater detail the cellular elements of adipogenic niches and report a strategy to isolate and characterize the subpopulations of macrophages and adipocyte progenitors that actively participate in adrenergic tissue remodeling. Further characterization of these subpopulations may facilitate identification of new cellular targets to improve metabolic and immune function of adipose tissue.

Evidence level

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

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