124 Wnt signaling activation causes ATGL-dependent lipolysis in skin fibrosis

Fibrosis is the pathological accumulation of extracellular matrix and can occur in all soft tissues. In many organs, including skin, fibrosis is also associated with a loss of fat or lipid-filled cells. In the skin, dermal adipose tissue has many critical roles which are likely impacted by fibrotic remodeling. Despite identifying numerous dysregulated signaling pathways common to fibrotic disease, the mechanism of fibrotic fat loss remains poorly understood. Wnt signaling is widely dysregulated across fibrotic diseases and known to impact adipocyte cell fate commitment, but a causal role of Wnt signaling in lipid breakdown in mature dermal adipocytes hasn’t yet been demonstrated.