Author: Emily Overway (Vanderbilt University)
Compile: Gong Zixin span>
weight loss → rebound → lose weight again?
fat and thin → thin and fat → fat and then thin?
Although losing weight doesn’t rebound—it’s even harder,
But the weight goes back and forth, the ups and downs are not good…
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Alyssa Hasty specializes in Studying immunometabolism, particularly the role of the immune system in obesity and metabolic disease, her lab recently explored changes in the number of immune cells in fat during obesity, weight loss and weight regain, published in Nature Communications . Let’s take a look at the results of this research through a conversation with one of the researchers, Heather Caslin.
AskWhat question is this research addressing?
Caslin:Losing weight is difficult to maintain, and many people regain it within a few years. Unfortunately,weight regain—the process of losing weight and gaining weight again—is more likely to cause diabetes than obesity itself. We know that adipose immune cells increase the risk of obesity-related diseases, but little is known about the role of adipose immune cells in weight regain.
QWhat is unique about the research method?
Caslin: We used single-cell sequencing, which provides high-resolution information about cellular differences and improved insight into individual cell function in specific microenvironments. understand. Our approach to analyzing biological replicates is to give each individual barcode (labeling each replicate with an antibody with a unique short DNA sequence) and label the different cell types within each replicate with other antibodies with unique DNA sequences.
In addition, Matt created an open-access interactive website called MAIseq, which stands for Mouse Adipose Immunosequencing, to facilitate discovery and expand data accessibility for the scientific community.
QWhat are the findings? What is its significance?
Caslin:We used weight-loss and recovery mice to understand how weight regaining exacerbates diabetes risk. We found thatWhile weight loss improves blood sugar and reduces the risk of diabetes, the immune cells in fat are still as inflammatory as they are in obesity and do not return to lean state. We suggest that adipose immune cells may “remember” obesity and contribute to increased diabetes risk when weight regains.
askWhat do you hope to achieve from these research findings in the short and long term?
Caslin:In our mouse model mimicking human data, weight rebound increases diabetes compared to stable weight obesity risks of. In the short term, we hope to identify specific cell populations that increase the risk of weight regain in animals. In the long term, we hope this will translate to human research, providing a mechanism to identify and treat individuals who have experienced obesity and weight regain.
askWhat are the benefits of this study?
Caslin:We may be able to lose weight if we can pharmacologically target adipose immune cells Diabetes risk after rebound. In addition, an open access website created by the studyProvides a resource for other researchers studying the field.
askwhat’s next for the research progress?
Caslin:We are currently studying how weight regain affects T cells, macrophages and mast cells (different types of immune cells) in adipose tissue, as well as these How cells contribute to the development of weight regain-associated diabetes. In addition, we are working to understand how weight regain affects insulin signaling and production.
Pictured: Mouse model of lean, obese, weight loss and weight cycling
Immune cells associated with obesity in adipose tissue Change
Data graph and reference source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30646-4