Nature Reviews Endocrinology - Cysteine deficiency induces rapid weight loss via adipose tissue browning

Nature Reviews Endocrinology, Published online: 23 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41574-025-01142-8This Review outlines changes in endocrine and metabolic function that occur in various adipose tissue depots during ageing and explains how these alterations contribute to age-related decline in metabolic health. The Review also discusses how various treatments might slow this decline by improving adipose tissue function.

Nature Reviews Endocrinology - Unpicking the effects of FGF21 on longevity

This study demonstrates that inducible, adipocyte-specific overexpression of FGF21 in adult male mice improves metabolic health and extends lifespan during high-fat diet feeding. These benefits occur independently of growth suppression and are associated with reduced visceral adipose inflammation and ceramide levels, offering mechanistic insights into FGF21’s pro-longevity effects under metabolic stress.

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 03 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s42255-025-01297-8The authors describe how reduced dietary availability and systemic loss of cysteine leads to adipose tissue browning and rapid weight loss in mice and humans.

Anxiety-like behaviour in mice, as a result of psychological stress, is shown to be mediated by GDF15 release in response to adipose tissue lipolysis.

Conditional cysteine restriction in mice causes substantial weight loss, exceeding that seen with essential amino acid restriction, by activating the integrated stress and oxidative stress responses, and by unexpectedly depleting coenzyme A, leading to metabolic inefficiency.

The authors describe how reduced dietary availability and systemic loss of cysteine leads to adipose tissue browning and rapid weight loss in mice and humans.