As people reach middle age, it\u2019s common to gain weight around the midsection\u2014even when overall weight stays the same. This stubborn belly fat doesn\u2019t just affect appearance. It increases the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and even speeds up the aging process. But while this phenomenon is well known, the exact reason why it happens has remained unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, researchers at City of Hope, working with scientists from UCLA, have discovered a surprising answer: aging stem cells in belly fat may be to blame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The research, published in Science<\/em>, focused on white adipose tissue (WAT), the type of fat that builds up around the abdomen. Scientists have long known that as we age, our fat cells get larger. But this study revealed something new\u2014white adipose tissue doesn\u2019t just expand by inflating existing fat cells. It also creates brand-new ones, especially in middle age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The culprits are a group of stem cells known as adipocyte progenitor cells, or APCs. These cells are normally responsible for making fat cells. But in older bodies, they behave differently. Using mouse models, researchers transplanted APCs from young and old mice into new hosts. The results were striking: APCs from older mice produced large numbers of fat cells, even when transplanted into young mice. In contrast, younger APCs didn\u2019t produce much fat, even when placed into older animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using advanced RNA sequencing, the scientists discovered that in older mice, APCs begin acting much more aggressively. They don\u2019t slow down with age\u2014instead, they become supercharged, pumping out new fat cells at a high rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The team also identified a new type of cell they named CP-As, short for committed preadipocytes, age-specific<\/em>. These CP-A cells start appearing in middle age and are even more active in creating fat cells. This helps explain why belly fat increases even in people who don\u2019t seem to gain weight elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe discovered aging triggers the arrival of a new type of adult stem cell and enhances the body\u2019s massive production of new fat cells, especially around the belly,\u201d said Dr. Qiong (Annabel) Wang, one of the lead researchers at City of Hope\u2019s Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One key finding involved a signaling pathway known as the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor, or LIFR. This pathway plays a major role in helping CP-A cells grow and turn into fat. Young mice don\u2019t need LIFR to make fat, but in older mice, LIFR becomes essential. Blocking this pathway could be a future strategy to stop fat buildup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur research indicates that LIFR plays a crucial role in triggering CP-As to create new fat cells and expand belly fat in older mice,\u201d Wang explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To test whether this process also happens in people, the researchers studied tissue samples from humans of different ages. Sure enough, they found CP-A cells in higher numbers in middle-aged samples, suggesting the same mechanism is at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Ocana, another leader on the project, emphasized the importance of the discovery: \u201cThis is the first evidence that our bellies expand with age due to the APCs\u2019 high output of new fat cells.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that scientists have identified the cells and pathways behind age-related belly fat, the next step is to develop treatments. The research team plans to explore ways to block or remove CP-A cells, potentially preventing or reducing belly fat in middle-aged adults. This could lead to better health outcomes and even longer lifespans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnderstanding the role of CP-As in metabolic disorders and how these cells emerge during aging could lead to new medical solutions for reducing belly fat and improving health and longevity,\u201d said Wang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HNZ Editor:<\/strong> A small part of a very big puzzle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Belly Fat Mystery As people reach middle age, it\u2019s common to gain weight around the midsection\u2014even when overall weight stays the same. This stubborn belly fat doesn\u2019t just affect appearance. It increases the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and even speeds up the aging process. But while this phenomenon is well known, the exact reason why it happens has remained unclear. Now, researchers at City of Hope, working with scientists from UCLA, have discovered a surprising answer: aging stem […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anti-aging","category-fitness","category-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6692,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6691\/revisions\/6692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Aging Activates a New Kind of Stem Cell<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The LIFR Pathway: A New Target for Treatment<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Confirming the Findings in Humans<\/h4>\n\n\n\n