Dr. Philipp Scherer discusses the role of adipose tissue, and how fat can expand at either a healthy or unhealthy rate. If it expands and is not properly vascularized, this can cause insulin resistance….
Read More »Daily Archives: Mar 22, 2014
Philipp Scherer, Ph.D.: Is there such a thing as “healthy” obesity?
Dr. Philipp Scherer talks about “healthy obesity” and how some people are “really adept at expanding healthy fat tissue.” He explains that healthy fat tissue is a very effective “sink” for excess calories and that if there is enough vascularization, this spares other tissues such as the liver, muscles or beta …
Read More »Philipp Scherer, PhD: Effects of Lipotoxicity on Beta Cells
Dr. Philipp Scherer explains the effects of lipotoxicity on beta cells and how beta cells are prone to lipotoxic damage. He notes that healthy adipose tissue will actually spare beta cells and that if someone is gaining weight, only healthy fat expansion will preserve the beta cells….
Read More »Philipp Scherer, PhD: How does lipotoxicity relate to type 2 diabetes?
Dr. Philipp Scherer talks about how lipotoxicity is critically important in diabetes because of its direct negative effect on cells, especially beta cells. In fact, lipotoxicity may be at the core of beta cell failure; a lot of evidence associated with insulin resistance and inflammation seem to be related….
Read More »Philipp Scherer, Ph.D.: How does lipotoxicity affect CV disease in type 2 diabetes?
Dr. Philipp Scherer talks about how most type diabetic patients are at risk for cardiovascular disease and that much of this risk stems from being overweight or obese. Reducing caloric intake is very difficult but if those extra calories could be neutralized as metabolically healthy obese people are able to …
Read More »Philipp Scherer, PhD: What is the role of mitochondria in brown fat?
Dr. Philipp Scherer discusses mitochondrial function in fat cells and especially how brown fats cells seem to burn more energy than white. This is becoming a very active area of research and researchers are looking to study how it might be possible to optimize the rate that mitochondria can burn up …
Read More »Philipp Scherer, Ph.D., Q7: Difference between “healthy” obese and non-healthy obese
Dr. Philipp Scherer explains that some segment of the population will have perfect metabolic health despite being overweight, and that this is due mostly to genetic predisposition. Somehow, their bodies have a highly effective way to store excess calories, and although they may not be cosmetically attractive, they are healthy. More …
Read More »Philipp Scherer, PhD: Genetics of Metabolically Healthy Obese Individuals
Dr. Philipp Scherer talks about the idea of the “metabolically healthy obese” individual and how their genetic make-up might be different. He also discusses the condition of congenital lipodystrophy, an extreme example of insulin resistance, when excess lipids cannot be stored in the places in the body where they should …
Read More »Philipp Scherer, PhD: Potential pharmacological innovations in metabolism control
Dr. Philipp Scherer talks about the future possibility of increasing patients’ metabolism in order to lose weight by either stimulating the brain area that oversees some metabolic functions or simply “tickling” lipocytes to increase their energy expenditure. These are potential therapies that are being looked at but probably won’t be …
Read More »Philipp Scherer, PhD: Will we invent an “exercise pill”?
Dr. Philipp Scherer talks about the future possibility of an “exercise pill” or something that would increase metabolism, repress appetite, and simulate the effects of exercise so that patients could maintain a normal weight without diet or exercise. He expects that clinical trials might happen in the next 5-7 years …
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