- ATC Adipose tissue is composed of a wide range of cell types (e.g. adipocytes, fibroblasts, stem cells, leukocytes) that control the ability of adipose tissue to store nutrients and regulate metabolism. Obesity leads to qualitative and quantitative alterations in all AT cell types that depends on location in the body, metabolic state, and sex. The fundamental role of adipose tissue expansion in obesity requires investigators access to the reagents, techniques, and assays to evaluate adipocyte size, adipose tissue inflammatory tone, lineage relationships between cell types, and metabolic function in pre-clinical mouse models as well as human samples. The high lipid content of adipose tissue and the challenges in tissue processing limit the broad application of rigorous adipose tissue assessments in research studies leading to many gaps in the field of obesity research. The Adipose Tissue Core (ATC) was established to address these gaps has assisted a range of investigators incorporate adipose tissue assessments in their conceptual models and experiments.
The aims of the ATC are (1) To provide consultation and training on rigorous experimental approaches to investigate how adipocytes develop, function, and interact with other cell types through paracrine and endocrine mechanisms. (2) To provide access to the specialized techniques required to rigorously evaluate adipose tissue biology. (3) To provide investigators with tissues, cells, databases, state-of-the-art assays, histological and other equipment, and animal models for the study of adipose tissue function. (4) To develop and implement new technologies beneficial to MNORC investigators interested in adipose tissue biology. Services will be offered to investigators in line with these aims with oversight from experts in adipose tissue biology to ensure rigorous and reproducible application of state of the art approaches to assess adipose tissue function in mouse and human samples.
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