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Novel way to ‘rev up’ brown fat burns calories, limits obesity in mice

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A new study led by researchers at WashU Medicine reveals possible new avenues to exploit brown fat to treat metabolic diseases such as obesity. Infrared images indicate reduced levels of heat production from brown fat in a mouse lacking a protein called ACOX2 (right), compared to a control mouse. Restoring high levels of ACOX2 in brown fat led to increased heat production and better weight control even in mice on a high-fat diet. (Image: Weisensee lab/WashU)
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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a novel way brown fat — an energy-burning form of fat — can rev the body’s metabolic engine, consuming cellular fuel and producing heat in a way that improves metabolic health. The study, in mice, reveals new avenues to exploit brown fat to treat metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance and obesity.