Future Perspectives of Metabolomics in Adipocytes

Obesity and diabetes have reached global epidemic status in modern society. It is well known that metabolic syndrome leads to the progression of these diseases, eventually decreasing quality of life. In wake of these epidemics, adipose tissue has attracted significant attention because of its activity as an energy storage reservoir. Lately, even more importance has been given to the different classes of adipocytes including white, brown and beige adipose tissues. Most research has been focused on understanding molecular mechanisms of cellular signaling. However, not much is known about metabolic reprogramming and the influence of metabolic stimuli on adipocyte activity. Systems biology driven by untargeted metabolic profiling of adipocytes will bridge the gap between nutrition, metabolism and regulation of metabolic disorders. In particular, metabolomics, an emerging omic science, will play an important role in identifying biomarkers associated with these metabolic diseases. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of adipose tissue subclasses and their role in health and disease.