This week, the National Science Center in Krakow announced the results of the OPUS 27 competition, and Dr. Krzysztof Czamara was among the awardees. Dr. Czamara will lead a project titled: “Heterogeneity of Perivascular Adipose Tissue in the Browning Process: At the Crossroads of Single-Cell Raman Spectroscopy and the Pathophysiology of Adipocytes.”

The circulatory system status is closely related to the condition of vascular endothelium. In recent years, perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT)—the fat tissue surrounding the aorta—has gained attention as a key player in cardiovascular and lifestyle-related diseases, with its heterogeneous phenotype associated with pathogenesis. In obesity, disruptions in lipid metabolism lead to increased fat accumulation, inflammation, and a loss of thermogenic function. Inducing a brown phenotype in PVAT adipocytes through the activation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a protein critical for non-shivering thermogenesis, may help prevent cardiovascular disorders. Thus, PVAT browning is emerging as a promising vasoprotective strategy.