Adipose tissue inflammation

Adipose tissue inflammation, frequently referred to as fat inflammation or meta-inflammation, is a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state that develops within fat depots during the progression of obesity. It is characterized by the accumulation of pro-inflammatory immune cells, particularly M1-polarized macrophages, which organize into crown-like structures around stressed or necrotic adipocytes. This inflammatory environment is driven by the excessive secretion of pro-inflammatory adipokines and cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, and MCP-1, which directly impair insulin signaling and promote systemic insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Because fat inflammation is a central driver of metabolic syndrome, therapeutic strategies focus on diverse molecular targets to mitigate the process, including thyroid hormone receptor beta agonists to increase lipid oxidation and GLP-1 receptor agonists to reduce overall adiposity and systemic inflammation. Effectively managing this inflammatory drift is essential for preventing long-term cardiovascular and metabolic complications associated with excess body fat.

Other names

Fat inflammationAdipose inflammationMeta-inflammationMetabolic inflammationAdipocyte inflammation

Targeting of various molecular drivers of adipose tissue dysfunction, including the activation of thyroid hormone receptor beta (THR-beta) to enhance liver metabolism, activation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors to promote weight loss and systemic anti-inflammatory effects, and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) to improve insulin sensitivity and favor anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization.