BATtle of the sexes

Project summary

Brown adipose tissue expends energy to produce heat and maintain body temperature. Stimulation of brown adipose tissue is therefore considered a treatment option to battle obesity. Women more frequently have active brown adipose tissue than men. We will employ these sex differences to obtain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms regulating brown adipose tissue activity using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSc). By comparing male and female iPSc-derived human brown adipocytes, we aim to identify secreted factors that enhance brown adipose mass and activity.

These proteins are ideal targets to enhance energy expenditure and treat obesity and its comorbidities.