Figure 1:

Mechanisms and consequences of WAT browning in cancer cachexia. At the “cell” level, beige adipocytes are induced in WAT by a combination of signaling pathways, including β-adrenergic stimulation, inflammation mediated by IL-6, and the presence of parathyroid-related peptide (PTHrP); as a result, UCP1 levels and mitochondrial content are increased. At the “tissue” level, CAC is associated with the appearance of islets of beige adipocytes in WAT, surrounded by white adipocytes of reduced size due to ongoing lipolysis. WAT browning and lipolysis result in decreased energy storage and increased production of heat. In the context of obesity, WAT browning is beneficial, while in cancer patients, it is detrimental. Reproduced from [34] under CC-BY-NC license.