The cover shows a photomicrograph of adipose cells. In obesity, adipose tissue plays a key role in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, the role of subcutaneous vs visceral adipose tissue has long been debated. Yang and Smith review this topic in the present issue of Diabetologia (50: 1127-1139). They conclude that the adipose tissue in different anatomical locations does not work in isolation but rather in a co-operative and compensatory manner. A reduced visceral:subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio improves metabolism in obesity, irrespective of whether this is due to a reduced visceral or increased subcutaneous fat mass, where the latter is accomplished through the recruitment of new adipocytes.
Cover credit: Steve Gschmeissner/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY