Bioactive peptides from human brown fat cells mediating metabolic control

Title Bioactive peptides from human brown fat cells mediating metabolic control
Acronym Balder
Start date 2021-02-15
End date 2026-02-14
Sponsor European Research Council - Consolidator Grant (ERC-CoG)
Institution University of Copenhagen

Associated cell lines

Project Description

Brown fat secretes signalling molecules called batokines, but the biological effects of batokines on distal tissues are unclear. Our overall hypothesis is that the energetic state of BAT will be communicated to the CNS, via batokines, to mediate appetite control, in a BAT-brain axis. To test this, we will identify novel batokines and establish 3D-cultures of appetite-regulating neurons, including human ESC-derived AgRP and POMC neurons as well as of murine primary hypothalamic neurons. These models will be incorporated with high-content screening and imaging approaches. Successful batokines will be tested for metabolic effects in mice models, and targeted neurons and signalling pathways will be tracked down to a single cell level with the overall goal of discovering novel appetite-regulating circuits to identify new strategies to target obesity and its related diseases.