Drivers of adipose tissue dysfunction

Normal adipose tissue development is critical for maintaining a healthy metabolic state. The early emergence of obesity is associated with adipose tissue dysfunction (hypertrophy, inflammation, dysbalance in adipokines) already in children, which contributes to cardiometabolic impairment. We identify and characterize drivers of healthy and dysfunctional adipose tissue development and obesity. For this, we apply a translational approach combining in vitro and in vivo studies with biological characterization of adipose tissue samples of children with normal weight and overweight across the entire age range (Leipzig Adipose Childhood Cohort). We employ molecular profiling including spatial transcriptomices linked to biological characterization of adipose tissue and clinical phenotypes. Our particular goal is not only to identify new functional candidate genes involved in human adipogenesis and adipose tissue dysfunction as a cause for early-onset obesity and associated insulin resistance in children to find targets to revert adipose tissue function and thus enable a healthy non-risk deposition of fat.