The researchers discovered that vaspin interferes with the nerve signals that typically activate heat-producing brown fat. In doing so, vaspin significantly influences energy balance, metabolic health, and the body's adaptation to cold and fasting. Their experiments identified the receptor LRP1 and downstream enzymes as key mediators of this mechanism and demonstrated that vaspin reduces fat breakdown in both mice and human adipocytes.
The findings position vaspin within a broader network of “batokines” - molecules that fine-tune brown fat activity to prevent excessive energy loss. Importantly, this work opens the door to new obesity therapies: by releasing molecular brakes like this, it may be possible to safely boost energy expenditure, enhance fat burning, and improve metabolic health.
This study was supported by the CRC 1052 “Obesity Mechanisms”.
Original publication
Rapöhn et al., 2025: Inhibition of adipocyte lipolysis by vaspin impairs thermoregulation in vivo. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66950-y
