How fat stem cells change with obesity
Official title: Adipose stem cells' niche in obesity
Funded at James a. Haley VA Medical Center · NIH-11264890 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how stem cells in fat tissue differ in people with obesity to better understand links to diabetes and inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | James a. Haley VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2017 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX003836-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11264890 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with obesity, including those with or at risk for type 2 diabetes, would be the most likely candidates to participate.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not adults with obesity (for example under 21) or those unwilling to provide small fat tissue samples are unlikely to get direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
The team collects small samples of fat tissue from adult volunteers and isolates the adipose stem cells (ASCs) to study their behavior. They compare cells from people with obesity to cells from lean volunteers and measure molecular signals, including long noncoding RNAs, that control metabolism and inflammation. Laboratory experiments recreate the local fat-tissue environment to see how it drives insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. Findings aim to map the ways altered ASCs contribute to obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targets in fat tissue for preventing or improving insulin resistance and diabetes in people with obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that adipose stem cells and their RNA signals differ in obesity, which supports this approach, but translating these findings into proven treatments remains early and experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
James a. Haley VA Medical Center
Tampa, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Niketa a. — James a. Haley VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Patel, Niketa a.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how knee pain and knee obesity and muscle loss affect knee osteoarthritis
This project looks at how knee swelling, excess knee fat, and muscle loss relate to pain and structural changes in knee osteoarthritis in adults.
-
Understanding how maternal and infant sleep and daily rhythms influence early appetite and obesity risk
This project explores how infant sleep, circadian rhythms, and maternal-infant timing relate to early appetite patterns and the risk of obesity in the first year of life.
-
GLP-1 receptor agonists as immune targets to treat asthma in lean and obese adults
Aims to understand how GLP-1R‑agonist diabetes medicines may directly calm immune cells to reduce asthma in adults who are lean or obese.
-
Understanding how where you live and personal factors during pregnancy affect a child’s risk for obesity and metabolic problems
This project looks at how neighborhood conditions and individual factors during pregnancy may influence a child’s risk of obesity and metabolic health as they grow.
-
Multicomponent lifestyle program to curb obesity and cardiometabolic risk in Samoan children
A locally designed lifestyle program aimed at preventing obesity and heart-disease risk in Samoan kids, with a focus on daily routines, healthy eating, sleep, and family support.
-
Game-based mobile app to help pregnant women with overweight/obesity manage weight in Nepal
A new app designed for pregnant women in Nepal with overweight or obesity to help manage weight gain during pregnancy and reduce weight retention after birth.
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.