Nutrition & Diet

Fat-Burning Protein HSL Found Controlling Fat Cell Health From the Nucleus

Scientists have discovered that hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), long known as a fat-releasing enzyme, has a hidden second role inside the nucleus of fat cells. Rather than simply breaking down stored fat for energy, HSL appears to regulate the genetic activity that keeps fat cells healthy and functional. Surprisingly, people and mice lacking HSL don't become obese — they develop lipodystrophy, a dangerous loss of healthy fat tissue. This challenges decades of assumptions about fat metabolism and suggests that fat cell quality, not just quantity, is critical to metabolic health. The findings, published in Cell Metabolism by University of Toulouse researchers, open new avenues for understanding insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular risk.