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Stem Cell Research & Therapy· 2026Q1· Review

Decoding the adipose-fibrotic axis: multi-organ mechanisms, crosstalk networks and emerging therapeutic targets

Ziqi Li, Junrong Cai, Feng Lu

Short summary

Adipose tissue actively drives fibrotic remodeling across multiple organs (skin, heart, liver, intestine) through mechanisms like adipokine signaling and adipocyte-to-myofibroblast transition, establishing a unifying adipose-fibrotic axis.

AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.

Key points

  • Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine and immunometabolic organ influencing fibrotic remodeling beyond its boundaries.
  • Key mechanisms include adipokine signaling, adipocyte-to-myofibroblast transition, disordered lipid metabolism, and microbiome-mesenteric fat interactions.
  • A stage-dependent model suggests early lipolysis is protective, while sustained lipolysis promotes fibrosis.
  • Emerging therapeutic strategies involve adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), exosomes, metabolic interventions (browning/thermogenesis), and microbiome-directed approaches.

AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.

Abstract

Adipose tissue is a dynamic endocrine and immunometabolic organ that shapes fibrotic remodeling within and beyond its anatomical boundaries. This review synthesizes evidence across skin, heart, liver and intestine to articulate a unifying adipose-fibrotic axis. We highlight depot- and stage-specific mechanisms, including adipokine signaling, adipocyte-to-myofibroblast transition, disordered lipid metabolism, and microbiome-mesenteric fat interactions, and distill convergent pathways. We further propose a stage-dependent model in which early lipolysis can be protective whereas sustained lipolysis promotes fibrosis, yielding testable therapeutic windows. Finally, we map a transitional landscape spanning cellular (ADSCs/exosomes), metabolic (browning/thermogenesis) and microbiome-directed strategies, and we outline outstanding questions for clinical translation.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2026 · DOI ↗

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Field: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Cardiology and Cardiovascular MedicineMedicine