An observational study in Cardiovascular Diseases, sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-17.
Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to research the impact of molecular signals from the heart, liver and fat tissue on cardiovascular disease risk, and the presentation of Type II Diabetes and diseases that affect the heart, blood vessels and metabolism (Cardiometabolic Disease). Specifically, the focus is on the content and function of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), small sacs released from a cell's surface that contain important molecular cargo. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Tissue samples from fat tissue and blood samples will be collected from patients receiving bariatric weight loss surgery.
The primary clinical objective of this research is to study the impact of molecular signals from the adipose tissue to the heart, liver and brain on cardiovascular disease risk in obesity, Type II Diabetes and other metabolic diseases that affect the heart, blood vessels and metabolism (Cardiometabolic Disease). Specifically, the focus is on the content and function of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), small sacs released from a cell's surface that contain important molecular cargo. The hypothesis is that EVs derived from metabolically active fat tissue located around the abdominal organs (visceral adipose tissue) have a different cargo than those derived from non-metabolically active fat tissue located directly under the skin (subcutaneous adipose tissue), and that these cargoes impact the function of other organs. Further, we hypothesize that visceral adipose EVs are also present in the plasma in circulation, and that the content changes as patients become metabolically healthy following bariatric surgery.
After obtaining patient consent, samples from visceral fat tissue, subcutaneous fat tissue and blood will be collected during the gastric bypass weight loss surgery. These samples will be brought to lab where they will be processed for EVs. Subject's medical history and records will be followed as well. An optional, secondary blood draw may be collected 3 month post-surgery or within 24 months.
Following collection, the samples will be brough to the laboratory of the PI for processing. Samples will undergo characterization for proteins, extracellular or exosomal RNAs, tissue RNAs (e.g., leukocyte/buffy coat), and/or metabolites. A trascriptomic and proteomic analysis will be performed to determine differences in protein and RNA expression. The EVs will be extracted from subcutaneous and visceral fat tissue and used to treat heart muscle cells and liver-on-chip cells that have been produced in a laboratory setting.
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This study's planned enrollment of 100 is below the median of 573 across 1,485 observational studies indexed under Cardiovascular Diseases.
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The study population will consist of 100 eligible subjects with obesity (BMI>/=30 kg/m2) who are planned to undergo bariatric surgery recruited from the clinic of Dr. Denise Gee in the Weight Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients undergoing bariatric surgery
What are the contents inside of fat (adipose) tissue derived Extracellular Vesicles (EVs)?
The study staff aim to obtain EVs from fat samples obtained at the time of bariatric weight loss surgery. The activity of genes within the cargo of the collected EVs are assessed using RNA sequencing and protein contents analysis. A statistical analysis performed utilizing computer technology will provide us with differentially expressed cargo that may be a step in the molecular communication pathway to the heart and liver tissues.
Time frame: 2 years
How does the contents of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) impact cardiac and liver function?
The study will look at the functional role of EVs from visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue on 3D organ on chip (liver on chip) and the heart's muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) using microscopes, gene expression and an assessment of the cardiomyocyte's electrical properties. It is predicted that changes in the recipient cell's gene expression will correlate with the contents discovered in Outcome 1.
Time frame: 2 years
Are changes in Extracellular Vesicle (EV) content related to cardiac function and adiposity with weight loss?
EVs collected from fat tissue are present in blood and provide a minimally invasive method to determine the fat cell's activity for turning food to into energy. We aim to assess how the content of EVs collected from plasma within the blood, and the content related to fat tissue EVs from Objective 1 change with weight loss.
Time frame: 2 years
How does the presence of diabetes or pre-diabetes alter the RNA content of Extracellular Vesicles?
The fat samples will be categorized based on the presence of diabetes, pre-diabetes and no diabetes of the subject at the time of weight loss surgery.
Time frame: 2 years
Plan to share: No
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