Advances in Adipose Tissue Biology

Silvia Corvera¹, Akhila Rajan², Kristy L Townsend³, Farnaz Shamsi^{4

5}, Jun Wu⁶, Katrin J Svensson⁷, Lori M Zeltser⁸, Sheila Collins⁹, Tânia Reis¹⁰, Yu-Hua Tseng¹¹, Laurie J Goodyear¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
² Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutch, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
³ Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
⁴ Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University, New York, NY 10010, USA.
⁵ Department of Cell Biology and Medicine, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁶ Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁷ Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA.
⁸ Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
⁹ Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
¹⁰ Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
¹¹ Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

PMID: 41071598
DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnaf032

Advances in Adipose Tissue Biology

Silvia Corvera et al. Endocr Rev. 2025.

. 2025 Sep 11:bnaf032.

doi: 10.1210/endrev/bnaf032. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
² Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutch, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
³ Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
⁴ Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University, New York, NY 10010, USA.
⁵ Department of Cell Biology and Medicine, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA.
⁶ Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁷ Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA.
⁸ Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
⁹ Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
¹⁰ Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
¹¹ Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism, Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

PMID: 41071598
DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnaf032

Abstract

Adipose tissue has emerged as a central regulator of human physiology, with its dysfunction driving the global rise in obesity-associated diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and liver diseases, and several cancers. Once thought to be inert, adipocytes are now recognized as dynamic, responsive cells essential for energy homeostasis and interorgan communication, including the brain. Distinct adipose depots support specialized functions across development, sex, and aging. Technologies like single-cell RNA sequencing are unraveling depot-specific mechanisms, with the potential of identifying new therapeutic targets. This review highlights major scientific advancements leading to our current appreciation of the pivotal role of adipose tissue in health and disease. Many key discoveries in this field have been catalyzed by National Institutes of Health funding, particularly through the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, now celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Keywords: adipocytes; adipose tissue; depots; energy homeostasis; obesity; type 2 diabetes.

© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com. See the journal About page for additional terms.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
- Ovid Technologies, Inc.
- Silverchair Information Systems

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Advances in Adipose Tissue Biology

Affiliations

Advances in Adipose Tissue Biology

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources