Research
Hormonal
Promoting adipogenesis (the creation of new, functional adipocytes) through therapeutic agents can improve lipid storage capacity and prevent the transition from MHO to MUO by avoiding adipocyte dysfunction, hypoxia, and inflammation.
Current lifestyle interventions do not directly target adipogenesis. However, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding excessive fat accumulation may help preserve adipocyte function. Future therapies may target transcription factors like PPAR-γ to promote healthy fat storage.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Therefore, the use of therapeutics agents that promote adipogenesis could improve adipocyte lipid storage capacity, and consequently, avoid transition to MUO. ... Reduced expression of SREBP-1c and PPAR-γ in WAT of obese, insulin-resistant individuals has been described compared to insulin-sensitive controls, suggesting possible defects in adipocyte differentiation.
Why this rating
Based on mechanistic studies and animal models; human therapeutic trials for promoting adipogenesis are not detailed.
Source
Exploring Therapeutic Targets to Reverse or Prevent the Transition from Metabolically Healthy to Unhealthy Obesity
Tenzin Dagpo et al. · Cells · 2020
DOI 10.3390/cells9071596
narrative_reviewCited 29×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Prevention and reversal of the transition from metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) to metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) requires multifaceted interventions targeting both adipose tissue intrinsic factors (e.g., promoting adipogenesis) and extrinsic drivers (e.g., hyperinsulinemia, circadian disruption), with lifestyle changes serving as the foundation but often requiring pharmacological or surgical augmentation for substantial weight loss and metabolic correction.Good
- Hyperinsulinemia acts as an upstream driver of the transition from MHO to MUO by promoting excessive fat accumulation and insulin resistance, and therapies that suppress insulin secretion (e.g., diazoxide, octreotide) may prevent this progression.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →