Macrophages inhibit adipogenesis of mesenchymal precursor cells via wnt-5a in humans

Introduction: Several clinical and molecular studies suggest that inflammatory mechanisms are important in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. In this respect it is of interest, that macrophages found in adipose tissue of human subjects with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes inhibit adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal precursor cells. While TNF-α was shown to be important in this process in mice, anti-TNF-α therapy in humans did not exhibit a major benefit on insulin sensitivity. Therefore the aim of the present study was to identify alternative signalling mechanisms in the interaction of macropha…