Abstract

Adipocytes have been studied with increasing intensity as a result of the emergence of obesity as a serious public health problem and the realization that adipose tissue serves as an integrator of various physiological pathways. In particular, their role in calorie storage makes adipocytes well suited to the regulation of energy balance. Adipose tissue also serves as a crucial integrator of glucose homeostasis. Knowledge of adipocyte biology is therefore crucial for understanding the pathophysiological basis of obesity and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the rational manipulation of adipose physiology is a promising avenue for therapy of these conditions.

1. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
2. Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, 1 Jimmy Fund Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Correspondence to: B.M.S. (Email: bruce_spiegelman@dfci.harvard.edu
). Reprints and permissions information is available at http://www.nature.com/reprints/index.html.

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