The study states there is a need to explore new weight-loss approaches with lower risks than the ones currently available.
It adds that over the past decade, manipulation of brown fat tissue has emerged as a promising approach for treating obesity and metabolic disease.
So far, the technology used in these experiments has only been tested on human cells and on mice.
Most fat in the body is unhealthy white tissue, but smaller amounts of brown fat are apparent.
White fat can be converted into brown fat through cold exposure. There are also drugs that can boost brown fat tissue activity in animals and humans. However, these can cause unwanted and sometimes potentially life-threatening side effects.
The latest approach would work by using a “simple and direct tissue-grafting approach” to extract white fat and convert it into brown fat tissue.
The results show that the experiment was effective for human cells but not when tested on mice.
The research states that the amount of brown fat tissue present in humans is in the range of 50 to 100 mL, and an average of 70 mL of natural brown fat tissue has been shown to dramatically increase energy expenditure and metabolism.
It adds that large amounts of excess white fat can be harvested from overweight and obese patients via grafting techniques such as liposuction and that small amounts of brown fat tissue can have a large impact on metabolism.