A research team from the Graduate School of Medical Science and Technology at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), led by Professors Seo Jae Myung and Lim Dae Sik, discovered a method to revert fat cells to stem cells, potentially treating obesity and diabetes. The team applied this method to lab rats, reducing their adipose tissue and returning them to normal weight.
According to KAIST on the 1st, adipose tissue plays a dual role: storing extra calories as fat after meals and secreting hormones in the endocrine system. Disruption in either of these functions disrupts our metabolic system, leading to metabolic diseases such as diabetes or obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms that harmoniously regulate these two functions are unknown.
The researchers focused on a protein called YAP/TAZ, part of the Hippo signaling pathway in cells, which plays a crucial role in determining the size of tissues and organs.
In this study, the researchers revealed the functions of the YAP/TAZ protein related to fat cells. The active state of the YAP/TAZ protein within the adipose tissue changes depending on whether or not food has been consumed. The activation of the YAP/TAZ protein directly controlled the size of the adipose tissue and was directly involved in the production of leptin, a hormone that regulates energy expenditure and satiety.
The researchers continuously activated the YAP/TAZ protein inside the fat cells of the lab rats. To reveal the role of the activated YAP/TAZ in the body, the researchers removed Lats1·Lats2 genes from their fat cells. As a result of removing these genes, the YAP/TAZ protein showed more active performance in its original function. In other words, it was able to convert fat cells back to their precursor cells, similar to stem cells, reducing the physical size of the adipose tissue.
This suggests a new potential treatment strategy for weight loss and metabolic diseases through the continuous activation of the YAP/TAZ protein, leading to the dedifferentiation of fat cells, reduction in the size of adipose tissue, and regulation of leptin hormone production.
The reduction of body fat through dedifferentiation is a distinct approach compared to traditional methods such as activating brown fat or exercise, focusing on energy consumption.
The research also influenced leptin, a hormone whose production principles and operating mechanisms were unknown despite its genetic sequence being identified 30 years ago. This hormone, produced by fat cells, suppresses appetite and increases energy expenditure, regulating a crucial metabolic system.
The research team published their findings in the globally recognized academic journal Nature Metabolism.
