Lay summary
Aotearoa has a high rate of obesity, and therefore huge socioeconomic costs associated with obesity-related metabolic disease. Obesity is defined by excess adipose storage. Adipose is typically considered a simple energy store. However, adipose also stores important fat-soluble molecules, such as vitamins and steroid hormones, that can be released into the blood. We refer to these molecules as the adipose "mobilisome".
We propose that fat-soluble molecules are released into the circulation in a coordinated fashion to regulate the response physiological stress. We further propose this function of adipose is impaired in obesity, and therefore an underappreciated axis through which obesity contributes to metabolic disease.
We will perform experiments to define the stress-adipose mobilisome response in human adipose tissue, how it is affected by obesity, and to identify pharmaceutical conditions that enhance or restore the stress-adipose mobilisome axis in obesity. These experiments will therefore identify novel treatments for obesity-related disease.