Beige fat cells after birth: how they form, change, and work
Official title: The Origin, Dynamics, and Function of Postnatal Beige Adipocytes
Funded at Rockefeller University · NIH-11346044 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers study how special fat cells that can generate heat form after birth and what they do, with potential implications for people with adult-onset diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2019 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $645,378 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK120649-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11346044 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity or adult-onset diabetes who are able to provide tissue samples or participate in related physiological studies.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without obesity or metabolic disease may not directly benefit from this basic research.
What this research studies
This project looks at beige fat cells that can burn energy and how they originate, develop, and function in adults. Using human and mouse data, the study explores how these cells interact with the nervous system and respond to obesity-related changes, with the goal of understanding their potential to improve metabolism and reduce diabetes risk. By revealing when beige fat appears and how its activity is regulated, the research could inform new approaches to prevent or treat metabolic disease. The work combines cellular, molecular, and physiological analyses to link beige fat biology to human conditions like adult-onset diabetes. Participants or samples may contribute to understanding human beige fat behavior and its relevance to health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A better grasp of beige fat biology could lead to new strategies to improve blood sugar control and heart health in people with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows beige/brown fat biology is relevant to metabolic health, but many mechanisms remain to be clarified and translational benefits are still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Rockefeller University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cohen, Paul — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Cohen, Paul
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cells organize into organized tissues to form organs
Researchers are studying how human-like cells in a lab can self-organize within a scaffold to form orderly tissue patterns, which could illuminate how organs such as skin and bones develop.
-
Modeling Ataxia Telangiectasia in a human stem cell model of Purkinje cells
Researchers are creating a patient-derived, human cell model of Purkinje cells to understand why this brain disease causes cerebellar degeneration in people with Ataxia Telangiectasia.
-
Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
-
Understanding how mycobacterial transcription works to guide better TB drugs
Researchers will study how the RNA polymerase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related bacteria start, pause, and finish copying genetic information, with the goal of informing new antibiotic strategies against TB.
-
How chromosomes stay true when cells divide in cancer research
Researchers are studying how chromosomes are accurately copied and distributed during cell division to understand and potentially prevent cancer.
-
Marmoset model of Huntington's disease shows how symptoms relate to brain and behavior
A researcher at a top university is studying how Huntington's disease affects brain signals and behavior in marmosets to better understand the human condition.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.