据澳大利亚媒体报道，科学家用成年人的干细胞在试管内，用生长激素和其它生长因子，种出棕色脂肪细胞。因为可以种植棕色脂肪细胞的事实，科学家希望有朝一日可以将棕色脂肪细胞移植入痴肥人士体内，帮助加快燃烧卡路里。科学家可以选择研发药物，刺激人体内的棕色脂肪增长，帮助减肥。领导这项研究的内分泌学家李保罗医生表示，棕色脂肪可以作为“缓冲”，助抗拒体重增加。
小小50至60克的棕色脂肪，一日可烧脂约300卡路里。原来婴儿出生时均有棕色脂肪，分布于婴儿的颈后，背部及肾脏周围，主要是透过脂肪酸氧化提供体热的产生保暖作用。大部分成年人体内均存留棕色脂肪。
不过，李医生表示不能单靠移植或服用药物，人们仍要做运动及健康的饮食。最后仍然要靠个别人士的生活方式，因为只需几个动作便可减低甚至抵消棕色脂肪的效力。
他认为近几十年痴肥人数增加，可能与人类体内的棕色脂肪减少有关。一个论据是全球暖化。“我并非指温室效应，而是人们将室内环境暖化，所以棕色脂肪无须增长。”他说。
与此同时，他正扩大研究不同的方法种植棕色脂肪。李医生的研究刊登在《内分泌学》（Endocrinology ）上。（生物谷 Bioon.com）
doi:10.1210/en.2011-1349
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Inducible Brown Adipogenesis of Supraclavicular Fat in Adult Humans
Paul Lee, Michael M. Swarbrick, Jing Ting Zhao and Ken K. Y. Ho
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays key roles in thermogenesis and energy homeostasis in rodents. Metabolic imaging using positron emission tomography (PET)-computer tomography has identified significant depots of BAT in the supraclavicular fossa of adult humans. Whether supraclavicular fat contains precursor brown adipocytes is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine the adipogenic potential of precursor cells in human supraclavicular fat. We obtained fat biopsies from the supraclavicular fossa of six individuals, as guided by PET-computer tomography, with paired sc fat biopsies as negative controls. Each piece of fat tissue was divided and processed for histology, gene analysis, and primary culture. Cells were examined for morphological changes in culture and harvested for RNA and protein upon full differentiation for analysis of UCP1 level. Histological/molecular analysis of supraclavicular fat revealed higher abundance of BAT in PET-positive than PET-negative individuals. In all subjects, fibroblast-like cells isolated from supraclavicular fat differentiated in vitro and uniformly into adipocytes containing multilobulated lipid droplets, expressing high level of UCP1. The total duration required from inoculation to emergence of fibroblast-like cells was 32–34 and 40–42 d for PET-positive- and PET-negative-derived samples, respectively, whereas the time required to achieve full differentiation was 7 d, regardless of PET status. Precursor cells from sc fat failed to proliferate or express UCP1. In summary, preadipocytes isolated from supraclavicular fat are capable of differentiating into brown adipocytes in vitro, regardless of PET status. This study provides the first evidence of inducible brown adipogenesis in the supraclavicular region in adult humans.
