Investigators at Queen Mary University of London say that by regulating the length of primary cilia on stem cells they could prevent them from turning into fat cells--a possible new direction in obesity research. Their work is based on observing the role of adipogenesis as calories are turned into fat. "This is the first time that it has been shown that subtle changes in primary cilia structure can influence the differentiation of stem cell into fat. Since primary cilia length can be influenced by various factors including pharmaceuticals, inflammation and even mechanical forces, this study provides new insight into the regulation of fat cell formation and obesity," says co-author Melis Dalbay. Report