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Scientists dive into brown fat to unlock metabolism secrets

NCT ID NCT04352244

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looks at brown fat, a type of body fat that burns energy to produce heat, and compares it to white fat, which stores energy. Researchers will collect fat samples from 40 healthy adults during planned surgeries and analyze them to understand how brown fat works. The goal is to learn more about metabolism and find new ways to help with weight management.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this research could point toward new ways to boost metabolism or treat obesity by understanding how brown fat works.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to any practical therapies, and results may not apply to everyone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Mar 2020

Expected to finish

Jun 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Participants planning a procedure will be recruited from clinical practices of Dr. Andrew White, Dr. Peter Mowschenson, and Dr. Per-Olof Hasselgren at BIDMC.

Ages

18 to 75 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria: 1\. Healthy participants between age 18 and 75 years undergoing planned clinically indicated procedure at BIDMC. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 40 kg/m2 2. History of any local or systemic infectious disease with fever or requiring antibiotic within four weeks of drug administration; 3. Diabetes, either previously diagnosed or hemoglobin A1c greater than or equal to 6.5% 4. Use of oral or parenteral corticosteroids (epidural permitted) or other medication known to cause insulin resistance in the previous 6 weeks. 5. Willingness to provide informed consent and follow study procedures, including attending scheduled visits. 6. Chronic kidney disease stage 4 or 5 (including end-stage renal disease); 7. Hepatic disease, including serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate transaminase (AST) greater than or equal to 3 times the upper limit of normal; hepatic synthetic insufficiency as defined as serum albumin \< 3.0 g/dL; or serum bilirubin \> 2.0; 8. Active malignancy (except squamous or basal cell carcinoma of skin) 9. Bleeding disorder, treatment with anticoagulants (if not discontinued prior to surgery), or platelet count \<50,000; 10. Current addiction to alcohol or substances of abuse; 11. Mental incapacity, unwillingness or language barriers precluding adequate understanding or cooperation; 12. Use of an investigational drug within 30 days prior to screening. 13. There will be no involvement of special vulnerable populations such as fetuses, neonates, pregnant women, children, prisoners, institutionalized or incarcerated individuals, or others who may be considered vulnerable populations. 14. Because the goal is to study adult human brown adipose tissue, children are not eligible to participate.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

hibernoma Obesity obesity disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Adipose tissue Adipose tissue, brown Obesity

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

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