<p class="first" id="P1">Adipose tissue depots can exist in close association with
other organs, where they
assume diverse, often ‘non-traditional’ functions. In stem cell-rich skin, bone marrow
and mammary glands, adipocytes signal to and modulate organ regeneration and remodeling.
Skin adipocytes and their progenitors signal to hair follicles, promoting epithelial
stem cell quiescence and activation, respectively. Hair follicles signal back to adipocyte
progenitors, inducing their expansion and regeneration, as in skin scars. In mammary
glands and heart, adipocytes supply lipids to neighboring cells for nutritional and
metabolic functions, respectively. Adipose depots adjacent to skeletal structures
function to absorb mechanical shock. Adipose tissue near the surface of skin and intestine
senses and responds to bacterial invasion, contributing to the body’s innate immune
barrier. As the recognition for diverse adipose depot functions increase, novel therapeutic
approaches centered on tissue-specific adipocytes are likely to emerge for a range
of cancers and regenerative, infectious, and autoimmune disorders.
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