KIEFER Florian, M.D., Ph.D.

Research Interests: Energy Metabolism, Obesity, White and Brown Adipose Tissue, Thermogenesis, Vitamin A

Our main areas of interest are energy metabolism and metabolic disease, with particular emphasis on adipose tissue biology. Brown adipose tissue, in contrast to white adipose tissue, is specialized in energy dissipation through heat production (thermogenesis). Promoting brown fat function in vivo results in protection against obesity and related metabolic complications such as type 2 diabetes. Current research focuses on identifying novel pathways of brown fat activation and “browning” of white adipose tissue. In this context we are particularly interested in the transcriptional role of  the vitaminA/retinoid axis in white and brown fat function. Another goal of our laboratory is to translate preclinical findings of brown fat biology into human physiology and pathophysiology (metabolic disease). Previous work has been related to obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance in adipose tissue and liver.

Methods & Techniques

Molecular biology; protein chemistry; immunoassays; immunohistochemistry; cell culture; cell respiration; animal studies; metabolic cage analysis; cold exposure studies; human PET-CT studies

Selected Publications

Kiefer FW, Cohen P, Plutzky J. Fifty shades of brown: perivascular fat, thermogenesis, and atherosclerosis. Circulation 126: 1012-1015, 2012

Kiefer FW, Vernochet C, O’Brien P, Spoerl S, Brown JD, Nallamshetty S, Zeyda M, Stulnig TM, Cohen DE, Kahn CR, Plutzky J. Retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 1 regulates a thermogenic program in white adipose tissue. Nat Med 18: 918-925, 2012

Kiefer FW. Browning and thermogenic programming of adipose tissue. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 30: 479-485, 2016

Kiefer FW. The significance of beige and brown fat in humans. Endocr Connect 6: R70-R79, 2017

Iwen KA, Backhaus J, Cassens M, Waltl M, Hedesan OC, Merkel M, Heeren J, Sina C, Rademacher L, Windjäger A, Haug AR, Kiefer FW, Lehnert H, Schmid SM. Cold-induced brown adipose tissue activity alters plasma fatty acids and improves glucose metabolism in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 102: 4226-4234, 2017

Blumenfeld NR, Kang HJ, Fenzl A, Song Z, Chung JJ, Singh R, Johnson R, Karakecili A, Feranil JB, Rossen NS, Zhang V, Jaggi S, McCarty B, Bessler S, Schwartz GJ, Grant R, Korner J, Kiefer FW, Gillette BM, Sia SK. A direct tissue-grafting approach to increasing endogenous brown fat. Sci Rep 8: 7957, 2018

Hedesan OC, Fenzl A, Digruber A, Spirk A, Baumgartner-Parzer S, Bilban M, Kenner L, Vierhapper M, Elbe-Bürger A, Kiefer FW. Parathyroid hormone induces a browning program in human white adipocytes. Int J Obes, 2018, in press