Brown Adipose Tissue as a Cardiometabolic Modulator: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Translation

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has re-emerged as a dynamic and metabolically active organ influencing whole-body energy balance, glucose handling, and lipid metabolism. Beyond its classical thermogenic role, BAT has been implicated as a crucial modulator of cardiometabolic health, potentially buffering against obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet, despite major advances in molecular characterization and non-invasive imaging, the precise mechanisms linking BAT activity to systemic metabolic homeostasis — and how these pathways may be therapeutically harnessed — remain incompletely understood. The discovery of beige adipocytes within white fat depots and their plastic response to environmental, hormonal, and pharmacological stimuli has expanded the conceptual framework of adipose tissue biology, but critical mechanistic and translational gaps persist.This Research Topic aims to elucidate the multifaceted role of BAT as both a metabolic effector and a source of endocrine signals shaping cardiovascular and systemic health. It seeks to bridge fundamental molecular insights with clinical outcomes, highlighting the interplay between BAT thermogenesis, substrate utilization, and secretion of bioactive factors (batokines). Key questions include how BAT contributes to cardiovascular risk modulation across distinct metabolic states, how sex differences and aging influence its function, and whether targeted activation or recruitment of BAT can evolve from a promising concept into a viable cardiometabolic therapeutic strategy.To advance understanding in this field, we welcome contributions that dissect the cellular, molecular, and physiological dimensions of BAT under healthy and pathological contexts. Submissions may address—but are not limited to—the following themes: BAT thermogenesis and systemic energy metabolism in relation to cardiovascular risk; BAT-derived secretory factors and their crosstalk with cardiac and metabolic tissues; lipid and glucose handling in BAT during obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure; BAT activity as a biomarker or therapeutic target in cardiometabolic disease; imaging and functional assessment in clinical and preclinical studies; sex and age-related differences in BAT biology; and pharmacological or lifestyle interventions that activate or recruit BAT.Original Research, Reviews, and Systematic Reviews are all welcome. Topic editors: Khanyisani Ziqubu, Angelica Amato, Sinenhlanhla Mthembu, MUSAWENKOSI NDLOVU Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84836/brown-adipose-tissue-as-a-cardiometabolic-modulator-from-molecular-mechanisms-to-clinical-translation