RNA-Binding Proteins in Adipose Biology: From Mechanistic Understanding to Therapeutic Opportunities

Obesity, defined by excessive body fat accumulation, is strongly associated with dysfunction of adipose tissue, a major regulator of whole-body energy balance and metabolic health. Dysfunctional adipose tissue is characterized by altered adipokine secretion, impaired insulin sensitivity, and chronic low-grade inflammation, all of which contribute to obesity-related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Understanding how obesity disrupts adipose tissue biology is essential for developing strategies to mitigate these metabolic risks. In recent years, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have emerged as important regulators of energy metabolism. By controlling post-transcriptional gene expression, RBPs influence RNA stability, localization, and translation, thereby shaping key cellular processes. Dysregulation of specific RBPs has been implicated in obesity and metabolic disorders, with several shown to affect adipogenesis, lipid handling, thermogenesis, and insulin sensitivity across different adipose depots. Their ability to direct the fate of transcripts involved in metabolic homeostasis positions RBPs as critical nodes linking adipose dysfunction to systemic disease. This review provides a mechanistic overview of RBP functions in adipose biology, highlights how their dysregulation can reinforce metabolic dysfunction, and identifies gaps and future directions for exploring RBPs and their RNA networks as potential therapeutic targets for obesity and related metabolic diseases.