Veronica Neifakh
Findings reveal unique fat cell subpopulations, paving the way for personalized treatments for obesity
A groundbreaking international study has revealed a new level of complexity within human fat tissue, identifying distinct subpopulations of fat cells with specialized functions. Published in Nature Genetics, the Israeli-led research is the first to characterize the diversity of fat cells in subcutaneous and visceral fat tissues, shedding light on the cells’ role in health and disease.
Using innovative RNA-mapping technology, the researchers uncovered previously unidentified subtypes of fat cells and differences in intercellular communication within fat tissues. This discovery challenges the long-held view that fat cells, also known as adipocytes, merely store and release energy. Instead, the study confirms that fat tissue plays an active role in regulating key physiological processes through signals to the brain, blood vessels, liver, and pancreas. The findings could pave the way for more precise, personalized treatments for obesity and metabolic diseases.
The research was led by Esti Yeger-Lotem and Assaf Rudich from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in collaboration with Naomi Habib from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Matthias Blüher, Antje Körner, and Martin Gericke from Leipzig University, Germany, and Rinki Murphy from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Esti Yeger-Lotem, one of the lead researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, told The Media Line that most of the cells were “classical” fat cells. Research revealed a new subtype of fat cells with much higher mitochondrial content than others, suggesting that these cells might have a different function.
“This research gives us a new lens to look at fat tissue,” Yeger-Lotem said. “It’s not just about storing energy—these cells are playing a much bigger role in human health than we ever realized.”
Now, she said, the challenge is to understand the functions of the different fat cell types and how they relate to disease.
One of the fundamental questions the research aims to answer is why different fat tissues in the body behave differently. It has long been known that subcutaneous fat (beneath the skin) and visceral fat (around internal organs) function differently, with visceral fat being more inflammatory and more closely linked to metabolic diseases. Previous studies suggested that the cellular composition of these fat tissues was surprisingly similar.
“We knew that these two fat tissues were functionally and molecularly different,” researcher Assaf Rudich told The Media Line. “But previous studies looking at cell types in the tissues showed that they were too similar, which didn’t add up. We set out to find the more subtle differences that could explain this contradiction.”
The researchers found that the key difference was not in the kind of fat cells in each tissue but in how fat cells communicate within the tissue types.
“The differences were not where we initially expected them to be,” Rudich said. Rather than finding completely different types of fat cells in subcutaneous versus visceral fat, the researchers “found significant differences in how cells within each tissue interact and regulate gene expression.”
This discovery highlights that fat tissue function is determined not just by cell types, but also by complex signaling networks—which could be another key to understanding obesity-related diseases.
Another unexpected finding involved how fat cells develop over time. Originally, the researchers hypothesized that classical fat cells evolve into more specialized cells as part of their maturation process. But their analysis suggested the exact opposite.
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