Enhancement of Brown Adipose Tissue Function Via Chronic Pharmacological Treatment

Summary

Obesity is epidemic in Australia, and current preventative strategies have had limited success in alleviating this health crisis. While numerous options are available for treatment of obesity, most do not result in sustained weight reduction. Obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, therefore new methods that correct this imbalance are essential for effective long-term treatment. Rodent studies show that brown adipose tissue (BAT) can burn more energy than any other tissue in the body, therefore targeting BAT to increase its activity (energy burning rate) and quantity in humans is potentially a powerful tool for the treatment of obesity and related diseases. BAT has only recently been irrefutably identified in adult humans therefore little is known about how it functions in humans.

Timeline

Start

2012-04

Primary completion

2014-12

Completion

—

Publications

• Loh RKC, Formosa MF, Eikelis N, Bertovic DA, Anderson MJ, Barwood SA, Nanayakkara S, Cohen ND, La Gerche A, Reutens AT, Yap KS, Barber TW, Lambert GW, Cherk MH, Duffy SJ, Kingwell BA, Carey AL. Pioglitazone reduces cold-induced brown fat glucose uptake despite induction of browning in cultured human adipocytes: a randomised, controlled trial in humans. Diabetologia. 2018 Jan;61(1):220-230. doi: 10.1007/s00125-017-4479-9. Epub 2017 Oct 18.
• Carey AL, Pajtak R, Formosa MF, Van Every B, Bertovic DA, Anderson MJ, Eikelis N, Lambert GW, Kalff V, Duffy SJ, Cherk MH, Kingwell BA. Chronic ephedrine administration decreases brown adipose tissue activity in a randomised controlled human trial: implications for obesity. Diabetologia. 2015 May;58(5):1045-54. doi: 10.1007/s00125-015-3543-6. Epub 2015 Mar 1.

Drugs

Indications