Essential role for miR-196a in brown adipogenesis of white fat progenitor cells

The recent discovery of functional brown adipocytes in adult humans illuminates the potential of these cells in the treatment of obesity and its associated diseases. In rodents, brown adipocyte-like cells are known to be recruited in white adipose tissue (WAT) by cold exposure or ß-adrenergic stimulation, but the molecular machinery underlying this phenomenon is not fully understood. Our aim is to elucidate a molecular mechanism of recruitment of bown adipocyte-like cells in WAT.