Adipose Stem Cells: What Sets Men and Women Apart?
Adipose
tissue has long been recognized as a crucial player in energy metabolism and
systemic health, but recent research has unveiled a fascinating aspect that
could reshape our understanding of fat biology: gender-influenced variation in
(ASCs) adipose stem cells. In the past, ASCs were generally thought to play a
role only in the development of adipocytes which are involved in the storage of
fat. However, this new study also argued that, in addition to serving as
resident stem cells of adipose tissue, ASCs are also responsible for
fibroblastic functions that are critical in determining the supportive
structure of adipose tissue. This duality only highlights how multi-faceted adipose
tissue truly is, and what a versatile role it plays in reacting towards
external stimuli, as well as its internal processes.
The
most interesting discovery regarding ASCs is the fact confirmed by the
researchers that ASCs differ in their size depending on the sex of the patient.
Interestingly, male and female ASCs also render gender differences in
expressing different genes such as genes related to estrogen signaling,
homeoprotein transcription factors and the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system
(RAAS). These differences may explain why women store the fat under the skin
while men store it around their belly organs. This latter kind of fat is
dangerous and linked to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Knowledge
of these sex-specific differences in ASCs may present a potential for
developing specific therapies involving metabolic diseases. For example,
modulating the RAAS pathway in male ASCs can be potentially used to develop new
approaches to obesity and insulin resistance treatment.
Figure
1.
RAAS-system and the expression of its main components in adipose tissue
The
findings of this work contribute not only to the advanced understanding of
adipose tissue biology but also to the appreciation of sex as a biological
factor in medicine. As we gradually decode more and more the various aspects of
ASCs, it brings us closer to individualized therapeutic strategies based on
these inherent differences; this creates the future prospects of regenerative
medicine & tissue engineering.
Reference
Uhrbom,
M., Muhl, L., Genové, G. et al. Adipose stem cells are sexually dimorphic cells
with dual roles as preadipocytes and resident fibroblasts. Nat Commun 15, 7643
(2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51867-9
Image
Credits:
Figure
1 - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51867-9/figures/3
Comments
Post a Comment