Adipose-tissue plasticity in health and disease

Adipose tissue, colloquially known as fat,is an extraordinarily flexible and heterogeneous organ. While his-torically viewed as a passive site for energy storage, we now appreciate that adipose tissue regulates many aspects of whole-body physiology, including food intake, maintenance of energy levels, insulin sensitivity, body temperature, and immune responses. A crucial property of adipose tissue is its high degree of plasticity. Physiologic stimuli induce dramatic alterations in adipose-tissue metabolism, structure, and phenotype to meet the needs of the organism. Limitations to this plasticity cause diminished or aberrant responses to physiologic cues and drive the progression of cardiometabolic disease along with other pathological conse-quences of obesity.

Automated summary

Adipose tissue, known as fat, plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological aspects of the body. Its high plasticity allows for significant changes in metabolism, structure, and phenotype in response to physiological stimuli. Limitations in this plasticity contribute to decreased or aberrant responses to physiological cues, leading to the progression of cardiometabolic disease.