Obesity and aging macrophages
Scientists have discovered a new way to treat obesity
As organisms grow, cells can undergo a phenomenon called aging. This process determines the state of the cell, in which the cells stop dividing forever, but do not die. Aging cells secrete toxic pro-inflammatory factors that contribute to the development of many diseases.
Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that obesity in experimental models led to aging of macrophages, a subtype of immune cells in adipose tissue.
Article by Rabhi et al. Obesity-induced senescent macrophages activate a fibrotic transcriptional program in adipocyte progenitors published in the journal Life Science Alliance – VM.
According to the researchers, the fact that macrophages can age is an unexpected discovery. Many macrophages in adipose tissues were aging, and these aging cells may be an important factor in adipose tissue fibrosis. These data suggest that obesity accelerates cellular or biological immune aging in adipose tissue.
"In healthy people, these cells contribute to the purification of tissues from dead adipocytes (cells specializing in fat storage) and help in cellular metabolism. We have demonstrated that macrophages lose this ability when they age," explained the first author of the study, Nabil Rabhi, PhD, lecturer in biochemistry at BUSM.
The researchers also found that aging macrophages secrete many factors, one of which is a molecule called osteopontin, which they found is responsible for the fibrosis of adipose tissue.
"Our discovery suggests that macrophages age faster in obese animals. This accelerated aging may contribute to the pathological thickening or fibrosis of adipose tissue observed in obese people with type 2 diabetes," Rabhi said.
The researchers believe that understanding new regulatory pathways that control the response of adipose tissue to obesity may help identify new targets for the treatment of obesity, writes NewsWise.
"Our discovery indicates that targeting an aging macrophage population or using osteopontin inhibition may represent a promising approach to treating obesity and its adverse complications, including type 2 diabetes," Rabhi added.
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