Increased Perilipin 5 in Brown Fat Linked to Healthy White Fat Remodeling and Systemic Glucose Tolerance; Findings May Lead to New Solutions for Type 2 Diabetes and Related Conditions

Increasing a protein concentrated in brown fat appears to lower blood sugar, promote insulin sensitivity, and protect against fatty liver disease by remodeling white fat to a healthier state, a new study led by University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) scientists suggests. The finding, published online on June 3, 2021 in Nature Communications, could eventually lead to new solutions for patients with diabetes and related conditions. The open-access article is titled “Perilipin 5 Links Mitochondrial Uncoupled Respiration in Brown Fat to Healthy White Fat Remodeling and Systemic Glucose Tolerance.” "By taking advantage of this natural system, we may be able to help make fat depots more metabolically healthy and potentially prevent or treat obesity-associated diabetes," says study leader Perry E. Bickel, MD, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UTSW.