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	Podcast:		UC Science Today
	Episode:		Can more 'brown fat' be used as a new preventative measure?
	Category:		Science & Medicine
	Duration:		00:01:04
	Publish Date:		2015-12-02 18:00:00
	Description:		Could flipping a molecular switch in human fat cells prevent metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes? A research team led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco is getting closer after identifying a similar pathway in mice that converts unhealthy white fat into calorie-burning brown fat. PhD student Kevin Tharp of the University of California, Berkeley recently studied brown fat’s role in reduced weight gain and describes this process as the “browning” of white fat. "Which is where white fat cells basically evolve to become more brown fat-like. And that’s exactly what occurs when you’re exposed to cold for long periods of time." Although browning is a natural process, researchers are looking to actively harness brown fat’s energy-burning capability by developing drugs and other therapeutic procedures to eventually combat obesity and diabetes. "The expansion of brown-fat tissues could be used as a preventative measure or a treatment measure."
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