Adipose Tissue Functionality in Metabolic Disease and Breast Cancer Progression

Obesity increases the risk for type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer. It is however adipose tissue functionality rather than the absolute amount of body fat that determines the disease risk.

We investigate mechanisms underlying impaired or sustained adipose tissue function during adipose tissue expansion (weight gain) and how the adipose tissue affects whole-body metabolic regulation and breast cancer progression. In particular, we focus on:

1. Interactions between adipose tissue-resident cells such as adipocytes and macrophages, and adipocytes and breast cancer cells
2. Mitochondrial function of adipocytes and its implication for systemic metabolism
3. Metabolic and immunological actions of different adipose tissue-derived hormones (adipokines)