Cover Story Current Issue

Postpartum (PP) maternal mortality remains alarmingly high, with a rate of 32.9 per 100,000 live births in 2021 in the United States. Cardiovascular diseases, including peripartum/postpartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and coronary heart disease, are among the leading causes of PP morbidity and mortality. Although socioeconomic status and the level of PP care can influence the mortality rate, the underlying mechanisms leading to PPCM are not well understood. PPCM is clinically defined as (1) the development of the disease in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months of delivery, (2) absence of pre-existing heart disease prior to the last month of pregnancy, (3) unknown cause of heart failure, and (4) left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Prognosis remains poor, with full recovery reported in only 23% of affected individuals and 50% experiencing heart failure-related mortality due to limited therapeutic options. Limited studies in both humans and mouse models of PPCM have proposed several potential mechanisms, including inflammation, viral myocarditis, autoimmune reactions, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, resulting from environmental as well as genetic factors. Studying these mechanisms in animal models, particularly those involving genetic causes, has been difficult due to the lack of severity or relevance of existing mouse models of PPCM to the human disease.

Full text

 

Current Issue

Adipose tissue macrophage-derived miR-690 modulates adipocyte precursor cell maintenance and adipogenesis

Karina Cunha e Rocha, Breanna Tan, Julia Kempf, Cristina Medina, ... Wei Ying

Adipose tissue macrophage-derived miR-690 modulates adipocyte precursor cell maintenance and adipogenesis

Obesity is intricately linked to various metabolic diseases; however, some individuals maintain metabolic health despite being classified as obese. A critical factor underlying this paradox is the expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT), which can occur through two mechanisms: hypertrophy (the enlargement of existing fat cells) and hyperplasia (the formation of new fat cells from adipocyte precursor cells, or APCs). Hyperplasia is regarded as a healthier mode of WAT expansion, as it tends to reduce inflammation and protect against insulin resistance. Thus, interventions that promote hyperplasia over hypertrophy could improve metabolic health in obese individuals. In this study, we investigate the role of microRNA-690 (miR-690), an anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing molecule, in maintaining the APC population and facilitating the healthy expansion of epididymal WAT (eWAT). Our findings indicate that in lean mice, macrophages support the APC population by transferring miR-690 to APCs. However, during obesity, the recruitment of pro-inflammatory lipid-associated macrophages (LAMs) to eWAT diminishes miR-690 delivery to APCs, impairing adipogenesis and leading to unhealthy WAT expansion. We demonstrate that strategies aimed at increasing the availability of miR-690 to APCs or mimicking its effects can restore APC functionality. Additionally, mutations in Nadk, the target of miR-690, were shown to mitigate the adverse effects of obesity on APC maintenance in eWAT. These findings suggest that targeting the miR-690-Nadk axis in APCs may provide novel therapeutic strategies to promote healthy adipose tissue expansion and protect against obesity-related metabolic diseases.

 

Articles in Press

Adipose tissue macrophage-derived miR-690 modulates adipocyte precursor cell maintenance and adipogenesis

Karina Cunha e Rocha, Breanna Tan, Julia Kempf, Cristina Medina, ... Wei Ying

Adipose tissue macrophage-derived miR-690 modulates adipocyte precursor cell maintenance and adipogenesis

Obesity is intricately linked to various metabolic diseases; however, some individuals maintain metabolic health despite being classified as obese. A critical factor underlying this paradox is the expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT), which can occur through two mechanisms: hypertrophy (the enlargement of existing fat cells) and hyperplasia (the formation of new fat cells from adipocyte precursor cells, or APCs). Hyperplasia is regarded as a healthier mode of WAT expansion, as it tends to reduce inflammation and protect against insulin resistance. Thus, interventions that promote hyperplasia over hypertrophy could improve metabolic health in obese individuals. In this study, we investigate the role of microRNA-690 (miR-690), an anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing molecule, in maintaining the APC population and facilitating the healthy expansion of epididymal WAT (eWAT). Our findings indicate that in lean mice, macrophages support the APC population by transferring miR-690 to APCs. However, during obesity, the recruitment of pro-inflammatory lipid-associated macrophages (LAMs) to eWAT diminishes miR-690 delivery to APCs, impairing adipogenesis and leading to unhealthy WAT expansion. We demonstrate that strategies aimed at increasing the availability of miR-690 to APCs or mimicking its effects can restore APC functionality. Additionally, mutations in Nadk, the target of miR-690, were shown to mitigate the adverse effects of obesity on APC maintenance in eWAT. These findings suggest that targeting the miR-690-Nadk axis in APCs may provide novel therapeutic strategies to promote healthy adipose tissue expansion and protect against obesity-related metabolic diseases.

 

Opening Abstract Submission & Registration

13th
Helmholtz Diabetes Conference 

Munich, 21-23. Sep 2026                                                                                                                             

2024 impact factor: 6.6

You are what you eat

Here is a video of Vimeo. When the iframes is activated, a connection to Vimeo is established and, if necessary, cookies from Vimeo are also used. For further information on cookies policy click here.

Auf Werbeinhalte, die vor, während oder nach Videos von WEBSITE-URL eingeblendet werden, hat WEBSITE-URL keinen Einfluss. Wir übernehmen keine Gewähr für diese Inhalte. Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier.