Scientists Discover a Fat-Burning 'Dial' That Could Help Strengthen Bones

McGill-led researchers identified a glycerol-activated switch in TNAP that turns on heat production in brown fat.

In mice, glycerol binds a specific pocket on TNAP, triggering the futile creatine cycle and boosting energy burning.

Human genetic data from the UK Biobank linked mutations in that pocket to lower enzyme activity and reduced bone density.

The discovery connects brown-fat metabolism with bone mineralization and could guide new treatments for skeletal disease, obesity, and diabetes.