Reflection #2: Fat Thermogenesis

For my neuroscience class this semester, we had to select a paper that interested us and present it thoroughly to the class. I picked a paper that used optogenetic technology (stimulating neurons in regions using light) to stimulate fat thermogenesis through a non-canonical pathway, which helps to prevent obesity. The problem addressed in this study is that activating the beta3-adrenergic pathway, which stimulates fat thermogenesis, also increases blood pressure, putting patients at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. The study uses optogenetics to promote calcium cycling in fat cells, expending energy without using the beta3-adrenergic pathway or the subsequent parts of this pathway, including uncoupling proteins. It was really cool to be working on these parallel topics at the same time in different classes. In biochemistry, I was learning about how this pathway typically works in the body. A foundational understanding of the canonical pathway helped a lot with my understanding of this new pathway being proposed by scientists. In neuroscience, I was learning the potential to take advantage of the pathways we already have in the body in order to treat patients. I really enjoyed knowing both what pathway we were bypassing and why this was important as well as how new technology can be used to intervene with the body’s typical processes.