Dear Colleagues,

Despite growing attention to the problem, the global epidemic of obesity is at its highest level ever in the Western hemisphere, and obesity rates are rapidly increasing throughout the world. For decades, there has been a long-standing consensus that prolonged obesity is associated with metabolic syndrome leading to diabetes, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis, in which inflammatory processes and altered metabolic pathways play a pivotal role.

Although biomedical science has advanced our understanding of metabolism and obesity-related comorbidities over the past few decades, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the condition are still complex and not fully understood. A major focus in the field of metabolism and obesity research has been on the adipose tissue as a regulatory center of metabolic homeostasis throughout life. While formation of fat cells through proliferation of adipocyte precursors, preadipocytes, and their differentiation into new adipocytes predominates during infancy, obesity has mainly been associated with hypertrophic adipose cell enlargement due to triglyceride accumulation. Notably, several immune cell populations have been implicated in the regulation of adipocyte function in the context of metabolic homeostasis as well as obesity and associated diseases.

This Special Issue aims to provide novel insights into the physiological and pathological aspects of healthy body weight management and adiposity. To this end, we welcome experts in the field to contribute research articles and critical reviews on molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis and imbalance with a special attention to the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity-related cardiovascular complications.

Dr. Thorsten Maretzky
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• adipose tissue development
• adipogenesis
• hypertrophy
• hypoplasia
• autophagy
• lipogenesis
• lipolysis
• insulin signaling
• low-grade inflammation
• obesity
• diabetes
• cardiovascular dysfunctions
• metabolic syndrome