This scientific paper explores how adipose tissue, or fat, retains a “memory” of prior obesity even after weight loss. The researchers used techniques like single-nucleus RNA sequencing and epigenetic analysis on both human and mouse fat cells to investigate this phenomenon. They found that transcriptional and epigenetic changes persist in adipocytes following weight loss, particularly in areas related to inflammation and metabolic function. These persistent changes appear to prime the fat cells and the mice for accelerated weight regain when exposed to an obesogenic environment again. The study suggests that targeting these epigenetic alterations could potentially improve long-term weight management strategies.
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