Scientists at City of Hope discovered that middle-aged belly fat expansion occurs because aging activates a new type of adult stem cell called committed preadipocytes, age-specific (CP-A), which rapidly produces new fat cells. While most adult stem cells decline with age, these adipocyte progenitor cells (APCs) become more active in middle age, churning out fat cells at a higher rate than in youth. The research identified a signaling pathway called leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) as crucial for these CP-A cells to multiply and evolve into fat cells in older mice but not younger ones. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, scientists confirmed similar CP-A cells exist in humans and increase in number during middle age with a high capacity for creating new fat cells. Understanding the role of CP-A cells in age-related obesity could lead to new treatments for reducing belly fat and improving health and longevity.
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