While working in their garden in England earlier this week, Nathan Brady and his daughter noticed a spiky little visitor passing through. It was a local hedgehog, apparently out for a stroll.

"In mammals, it appears that hedgehog signaling regulates adult stem cells, diverting them from forming fat cells and redirecting them to become bone," Dr. Graff said. "Unfortunately, as humans age ...

Hedgehog Protein Blocks Fat Production, Produces More Bone. ScienceDaily . Retrieved June 4, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2006 / 01 / 060111073720.htm ...

A protein that guides the early development of creatures as diverse as fruit flies and humans also plays a role in regulating fat and bone formation in adult organisms, researchers at UT Southwestern ...