Cellular and Molecular Factors in Adipose Tissue Growth and Obesity

Abstract

One of the major challenges in biology and medicine is the unravelling of the fundamental abnormality imparting vulnerability to the development of obesity. The experimental approaches adopted to date have simply not provided the solution. It is pertinent, particularly in the context of this meeting, that obesity frequently triggers or aggravates non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Thus, prevention or effective treatment of obesity would also have a prophylactic or ameliorative effect on type II diabetes. This paper will review and provide new data about the proposed functions of heparin-binding (fibroblast) growth factors in relation to adipose cell dynamics and processes opposing adipose differentiation.