Frontiers in Endocrinology · 3 authors, 2 centres
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This narrative review synthesizes preclinical evidence on the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating brown and beige adipocyte thermogenesis, covering transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, metabolites, non-coding RNAs, and inter-organ crosstalk. The central conclusion is that activating brown adipocytes or inducing beige adipocytes to increase energy expenditure represents a potential therapeutic strategy for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
This narrative review summarizes molecular and cellular mechanisms governing thermogenic fat, consisting of brown and beige adipocytes that dissipate energy as heat via UCP1-mediated uncoupling of oxidative respiration. The authors discuss transcriptional regulation by core factors PPARγ, PRDM16, and PGC1α, alongside epigenetic regulators, non-coding RNAs, and metabolic reprogramming. Intercellular and inter-organ crosstalk networks that regulate thermogenesis within the complex adipose tissue microenvironment are also considered. The review highlights that most regulatory pathways converge on these core transcriptional regulators. The authors suggest that inducing artificial thermogenesis holds promise for counteracting obesity, and they recommend spatial transcriptomics and epigenomics for future investigation of thermogenic fat development routes.
