Adipose tissue (AT) is a highly dynamic organ serving metabolic, endocrine, and immune functions that collectively regulate systemic energy homeostasis and thermogenesis. It is organized into anatomically distinct depots — the most extensively studied being abdominal subcutaneous (ASAT) and visceral adipose tissue (AVAT) — but also dispersed across many other tissues and organs, such as cervical subcutaneous adipose tissue (CSAT). The functional importance of AT is underscored by the global burden of adipose-related pathophysiology. Excess adiposity, which defines obesity, now affects over one billion individuals worldwide and is a major risk factor for metabolic dysfunction and common comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and premature mortality — imposing a substantial clinical and economic burden globally. Deciphering the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing human white adipose tissue (WAT) across health and disease, anatomical locations, sex, and age is therefore of critical importance.
Here, we present a comprehensive, integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of human WAT comprising 1,037,815 nuclei from 184 donors and 411 samples, spanning abdominal (ASAT and AVAT) and cervical (CSAT) depots across 22 studies, of which 7 remain currently unpublished (AlZaim 2026, Emont 2022, Grothen 2026, Hinte 2024, Jalkanen 2026, Lazarescu 2025, Loft 2026, Massier 2023, Reinisch 2025, Sun 2020, Wang 2024). The HATA was developed in accordance with Human Cell Atlas standards, incorporating robustness to technical variation, systematic benchmarking of integration methods, and consensus cell type annotation by members of the HCA adipose tissue community. As a standardized reference with unified cell type nomenclature, the HATA enables high-resolution dissection of AT biology and provides a foundation for uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying depot-specific function and pathological remodeling in obesity and related metabolic diseases.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from ASAT, AVAT, and CSAT depots.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from ASAT-derived cells.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from AVAT-derived cells.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from Adipocytes.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from ASPCs.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from Vascular cells.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from Myeloid cells.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from Mesothelial cells.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from CSAT-derived cells.
Integrated single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas including data from Lymphoid cells.
