This way to novel obesity treatments? Map of nerves that activate brown fat could take us there

A first-ever map of the nerves that activate brown adipose tissue—also known as brown fat which, when stimulated, burns energy and generates heat—could lead to new therapies for obesity, including electrical stimulation and heat therapy. In early October, a team of scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles published the findings of a study that involved dissecting the cervical region in eight cadavers to find the distribution of sympathetic nerve branches to fat pads above the collarbone, where brown fat in adults tends to be concentrated. “Human sympathetic nerves use multiple pathways to innervate the supraclavicular fat pad,” the authors wrote in their research, which was published on October 4 in PLOS One. “The present finding serves as a framework for future clinical approaches to activate human (brown adipose tissue) in the supraclavicular region.” Previous studies have already established the link between the body’s sympathetic nervous system—which controls stress response—and brown fat activity. Read: Glucose hacks: Gimmick or guidance? What’s groundbreaking about the UCLA research is that it identifies the actual nerves that connect brown fat to the sympathetic nervous system. This new knowledge can lead to further discoveries, including how to stimulate these pathways to activate brown fat without affecting the organs that are also connected to this network of nerves, such as the heart and stomach. Dr. Preethi Srikanthan, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine who oversaw the research at the UCLA School of Medicine, said in a Medscape News article that “it has long been speculated” that activating brown fat could be useful in treating obesity and related metabolic conditions. But the challenge has been finding a way of selectively stimulating brown fat. Unlike white fat, which typically accumulates around the belly, hips and thighs and stores energy, brown fat burns energy because of its higher levels of mitochondria—a part of the cell that generates energy. Some evidence suggests that medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro may increase brown fat activity, according to Medscape News. Read: More grains, less meat key to preventing type 2 diabetes

This way to novel obesity treatments? Map of nerves that activate brown fat could take us there

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