Adipose tissue hormone protects cells that secrete insulin, reverses damage associated with obesity

Adiponectin, a hormone secreted by adipose tissue, plays a doubly important role in preserving pancreatic function. In lean people, it protects beta cells, which make insulin, and in obese people, it reverses damage to fatty tissue. The discovery was made by researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Chemistry Institute (IQ-USP) in Brazil and is reported in an article published in the journal Aging Cell, showing that adiponectin is a potential therapeutic target.