In this issue of Adipocyte

White adipose tissue (WAT), one of two types of adipose tissue found in mammals, is critical for energy storage in times when food sources are scarce. Too much WAT, however, evokes an inflammatory response that can lead to metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. This response is, in part, regulated by nuclear receptors found within the adipocyte and infiltrating adipose tissue macrophages. In this review, David Jacobi, Kristopher Stanya, and Chih-Hao Lee focus on these nuclear receptors and how they contribute to both an inflammatory state of WAT, leading to metabolic complications, and to a healthy state of WAT, maintained via homeostatic mechanisms. The authors also discuss recent findings for the role of nuclear receptors in adipose tissue associated macrophage function. With a solid understanding of how nuclear receptors function within adipocytes and macrophages, their modulation may bear out potential therapies to treat WAT inflammatory disorders.