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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Visualization and Quantification of Brown and Beige Adipose Tissues in Mice using [18F]FDG Micro-PET/MR Imaging

Visualization and Quantification of Brown and Beige Adipose Tissues in Mice using [18F]FDG Micro-PET/MR Imaging

Published on: July 1, 2021

Brown and beige fat: development, function and therapeutic potential.

Matthew Harms¹, Patrick Seale

¹Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Nature Medicine

|October 9, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Specialized fat cells, brown and beige adipocytes, generate heat to combat obesity and metabolic disease. Understanding their biology offers new therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders.

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Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Visualization and Quantification of Brown and Beige Adipose Tissues in Mice using [18F]FDG Micro-PET/MR Imaging

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Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging of Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue

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Published on: October 7, 2014

Area of Science:

Metabolic disease research
Adipose tissue biology
Thermogenesis

Background:

Adipose tissue primarily stores fat but also plays a role in metabolic health.
Brown and beige adipocytes are specialized cells that produce heat, counteracting weight gain and metabolic dysfunction.
These cells are crucial in regulating energy balance and preventing diseases like obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize the roles of brown and beige adipocytes in metabolic health.
To highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting these cells for metabolic disorders.
To review the identified genes and pathways regulating adipocyte biology.

Main Methods:

Review of scientific literature on brown and beige adipocyte function.
Analysis of gene expression and pathway regulation in thermogenic adipocytes.
Correlation studies on adipocyte activity and metabolic health in animal models and humans.

Main Results:

Brown adipocytes are found in specific depots with high thermogenic gene expression.
Beige adipocytes (brown-like) can develop in white fat depots upon activation.
The activity of both cell types is linked to reduced obesity and metabolic disease in mice and leanness in humans.

Conclusions:

Brown and beige adipocytes are key players in energy metabolism and disease prevention.
Numerous genes and pathways regulating these cells have been identified.
Targeting brown and beige adipocyte biology presents promising therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases.