Category Archives: News

The successful treatment of HIV through combinations of antiretroviral drugs significantly improved patient outcomes but earlier therapies had the unintended side effect of causing lipodystrophy. In recent years, the development of less toxic drugs has reduced the incidence of lipodystrophy, but growing evidence suggests that newer treatments may promote obesogenesis in people living with HIV. Marta Giralt addressed this topic as a speaker at the seminar “Metabolic Disorders in People with HIV: From Basic to Clinical,” organized by GeSIDA, the study group of SEIMC (Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology), focused specifically on HIV infection and related conditions. In her presentation, Dr. Giralt shared our team’s long- standing research on adipose tissue alterations in people living with HIV.

Our team contributed several relevant insights from our research to the ECO 2025 congress, an international event that brought together over 4,000 participants in Málaga. Francesc Villarroya delivered an invited lecture on recent advances regarding the relationship between brown adipose tissue, obesity, and aging. Carla Franco and Joan Villarroya presented their latest findings on the role of adipose tissue autophagy in obesity, while Marion Peyrou shared her experimental studies on the action of tirzepatide, a next-generation drug targeting obesity. Finally, Albert Blasco gave an oral presentation on the role of ACBP protein as a repressor of brown fat activity and its implications in obesity. In summary, a successful and inspiring contribution to advances in obesity research.

Using extensive analysis of cellular and preclinical experimental models, we identified ACBP, a regulatory protein that functions both intracellularly and as a secreted factor, as a negative regulator of brown fat activity. ACBP's influence on brown adipose tissue has significant implications for whole-body energy balance and systemic metabolism. This study is part of the PhD thesis research conducted by Albert Blasco in our laboratory. For access to article, see: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2025.102153

Nearly 350 people gathered at the Blanes Theater to attend the conference "Is Our Body Fat Really a Problem?" presented by Dr. Marta Giralt, as part of the introductory cycle of the Blanes University Extension Program, affiliated with the University of Girona. In this informative session, Dr. Marta Giralt shared the latest advancements in the pathophysiology of adipose tissue, aimed at the general public. A successful achievement in disseminating our research to the general public!

On the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on February 11, the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) released its ranked list of the top 10,000 women scientists in Spain. We are proud to announce that Dr. Marta Giralt, co-leader of our research team, is ranked among the top 2% of the most influential Spanish scientists.

Marta Giralt delivered the lecture "Obesity and Climate Change" at the SEEDO/EASO Joint Conference in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The presentation highlighted the increasing recognition of global warming's contribution to the obesogenic environment, as well as the role of suppressed adaptive thermogenesis and reduced energy expenditure.

On January 16 and 17, 2025, the ADIPOBROAD meeting took place in Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona. ADIPOBROAD is a thematic research network supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities in Spain. This network is coordinated by our research group and brings together 12 research groups from Spain involved in various aspects of research on adipose tissue plasticity and its impact on health. The meeting included participation from all the network's groups and international guests, with more than 60 attendees. Multiple interdisciplinary and collaborative research areas in adipobiology were identified during the meeting.

Stanford University has created a publicly available database of highly cited scientists, providing separate data for career-long impact and for single-year impact. Prof. Francesc Villarroya is ranked among the top 2% of influential researchers in both metrics, while Prof. Marta Giralt is recognized in the recent impact ranking.