May 2025 marked the inaugural joint meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), bringing adult and paediatric endocrinologists together under the theme of ‘connecting endocrinology across the life course’. Around 8,000 people convened in Copenhagen, Denmark, for an exciting and wide-ranging programme across 4 days. The first lecture

Advances in biomedical research often result from a straightforward formula: a good working hypothesis, a set of dedicated investigators, and access to calorimetric chambers and a laboratory scale. The success of this approach has again been demonstrated in a new Cell Metabolism report showing that tirzepatide induces weight loss through partially distinct mechanisms in mice and humans.

GLP1 receptor agonist therapies induce substantial weight loss, but up to 40% of this weight loss is lean mass, particularly muscle. Loss of muscle mass can be caused via activation of type II activin receptors ActRIIA and/or ActRIIB, and blockade of these receptors can lead to muscle growth in humans. A study in Nature Communications describes a strategy for preventing muscle mass loss during GLP1

People with diabetes mellitus experience elevated levels of stress. Learning whether dysglycaemia contributes to this effect by affecting neuronal signalling could help develop treatments that reduce anxiety in people with diabetes mellitus. A new study published in Nature Metabolism reports that in a mouse model of diabetes mellitus, increased expression of the pro-inflammatory chemokine CCL2 in neurons

Tight glycaemic control (TGC) is known to reduce the risk and/or progression of diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes mellitus complication that causes the breakdown of the inner blood–retinal barrier (iBRB), leading to vision loss. However, intensive TGC in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy can lead to a worsening of the condition. Building on the authors’ previous work, a study in Science Translational

The second law of thermodynamics asserts that energy within a system must be conserved, and that changes arise from alterations in energy input or output. In obesity, this principle implies that changes in body weight, where energy is stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue, result from alterations in energy intake or expenditure. To maintain a stable body weight, energy intake must balance energy

Long before the word ‘inflammation’ gained prominence in immunometabolic research, Gökhan S. Hotamışlıgil and his team were investigating the molecular mechanism of a key inflammatory player, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), which drives obesity-induced insulin resistance. In the 1990s, obesity was primarily viewed as a consequence of an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure, and was

Despite its prevalence, treatment of hypothyroidism has long divided opinion in the research and clinical fields. Here, I share my experience as a patient living with hypothyroidism for 16 years, as well as the difficulties I have faced in achieving consistent and effective treatment tailored to my individual needs.

The foundations for modern medical treatments for diabetes mellitus and obesity were laid more than 60 years ago by several scientific groups in London. Importantly, the 1965 publication of Intestinal factors in the control of insulin secretion by McIntyre and colleagues investigated both glucose metabolism and the role of the liver. This work contributed markedly to the discovery of the incretin effect

Increasing numbers of transgender and nonbinary youth are now accessing gender-affirming medical interventions, which have been demonstrated to improve health and well-being. This Perspective addresses how the needs of transgender and nonbinary youth, up to age 18, can be addressed through individualized gender-embodiment care. We first review standard medical therapies, including gonadotropin-releasing

Prolactin is known to have a wide range of functions during reproduction, from supporting lactation to initiating maternal behaviours. New research now indicates that prolactin also has a role in regulating body temperature during pregnancy in mice. The study involved mice with adenovirus-Cre deletion of the gene that encodes prolactin receptor (Prlr) in the preoptic area and mice with conditional

Correction to: Nature Reviews Endocrinology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-025-01107-x, published online 22 April 2025.

Thank you for your thoughtful letter (Schelhaas, A. et al. Ensuring diverse representation and minimizing conflicts of interest in clinical practice guidelines. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-025-01122-y (2025))1 concerning the recent guidelines regarding the implementation and monitoring of vosoritide therapy in individuals with achondroplasia (Savarirayan, R. et al. International

During their Q3 2024 investor call, BioMarin, a manufacturer of vosoritide, estimated that 24,000 individuals worldwide could use vosoritide and stated that “new global guidelines” would recommend that “children with achondroplasia be referred as soon as diagnosis is suspected to enable early initiation of treatment”1. In January 2025, a Consensus Statement on the use of vosoritide in achondroplasia

Body mass index (BMI), as its name indicates, is a marker of total body mass and not a specific marker of adipose tissue mass. Here, we position relative fat mass (RFM) as an ideal alternative to BMI by highlighting the superior performance of RFM in assessing cardiometabolic risk.

Reducing insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is a promising potential strategy for controlling blood levels of glucose in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A study published in Diabetologia now shows that treatment with HEXA–Fc (a protein created by fusing the liver enzyme hexosaminidase A (HEXA) with the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region of immunoglobulin G1) can promote glucose uptake

Correction to: Nature Reviews Endocrinology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-025-01091-2, published online 10 March 2025.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR; also termed mechanistic target of rapamycin) is a conserved serine–threonine kinase and forms two large protein complexes (mTOR complexes 1 and 2 (mTORC1 and mTORC2)). The function of mTORC2 is not well understood, but mTORC1 is well known as the central metabolic regulator in cells. mTORC1 integrates and coordinates a cell’s response to signals from intracellular

This March, more than 1,000 endocrinologists convened in Harrogate, UK, for the annual meeting of the Society for Endocrinology (SfE BES). For the opening session, Marie Freel (Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK) and Karen Forbes (University of Leeds, UK) highlighted key advances in clinical and basic endocrinology from the past year, and discussed future challenges. Highlights included

Back in the early 2000s, obesity was known to be a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the intricate molecular mechanisms that link these two metabolic conditions remained unclear. Obesity was evidently associated with chronic inflammation and insulin resistance, but how these processes intertwined at the molecular level was still a mystery. Why did obesity trigger insulin resistance

Studies in rodents and humans have established a relationship between the gut microbiome and obesity, but how our gut residents might promote or inhibit weight gain is less well defined. A paper in Nature Metabolism has now shown that certain microbial metabolites confer an anti-obesity effect in mice by modulating the intestinal immune response of the host. The authors identified an association between

The intricate relationship between the gut and pancreatic function has long intrigued researchers. As early as 1929, Zunz and LaBarre proposed the existence of an ‘incretin’ (that is, a gut-derived factor that could enhance insulin secretion) on the basis of cross-circulation experiments in dogs. However, their hypothesis remained speculative for decades, as research was hindered by the lack of tools

Maternal sex steroid hormones (such as oestrogen and progesterone) are known to have important roles in reproduction, contributing to maintaining pregnancy and to embryonic development. However, how maternal progesterone might influence the embryo and the maternal metabolism has been unclear; a new study set out to investigate this question. The researchers focused on membrane progesterone receptor

Many glucose-lowering medications for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have varying levels of efficacy in different patients, but it is currently not well understood which criteria should be used to personalize T2DM treatment. A study published in The Lancet has developed a model to predict the efficacy of different T2DM drug classes in reducing glycaemia in patients, based on routinely recorded clinical

Computational tools that predict which amino acid sequences are produced by cleavage enzymes can accelerate the discovery of bioactive peptides with therapeutic potential. A study recently published in Nature presents a peptide prediction programme that was used to search for novel anti-obesity peptides made by prohormone convertase enzymes (also known as proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin (PCSK)

Thyroid hormones have a wide range of functions, including regulating energy metabolism. In a study published in Cell Metabolism, a group of researchers show that leptin is involved in thyroid hormone activation, which results in an increased metabolic rate in the context of obesity. In mice, leptin injection increased the expression of type 2 deiodinase mRNA. Of note, this effect was not seen in db/db

In 1993, the 103rd United States Congress signed the NIH Revitalization Act into law; prior to this date, women (and members of minority groups) were largely excluded from clinical trials. To this day, women experience more adverse reactions to medication and surgical complications involving medical device implants than men, as the studies regarding the safety and efficacy of medications and devices

Insulin resistance is a key component of the pathogenesis and progression of obesity-associated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The insulin receptor is expressed in endothelial cells and insulin acts on blood vessels to increase blood flow to metabolic tissues. Endothelial insulin resistance was already known to be reduced in people with T2DM compared with healthy individuals, but the mechanisms of

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) exhibit notable sex-related differences, particularly in prolactinomas and corticotroph tumours. Findings from the past 5 years in other cancers suggest that interactions between sex hormones and the immune system, as well as epigenetic modifications specific to sex chromosomes, could influence sex differences in tumour development.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with retinopathy, which can cause vision loss. A new study suggests that damage to the intestinal lining caused by neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) might promote retinopathy in people with T2DM by releasing antigens from the gut into the blood and causing systemic inflammation. The researchers then investigated whether inhibiting NETosis (NET release)

Tumour cells are well known to have an altered metabolic profile and are more able to obtain and metabolize nutrients than surrounding cells. Several existing cancer therapies target tumour metabolism. A new study in Nature Biotechnology reports the development of a cell-based therapy using engineered adipocytes to reduce tumour cell growth by altering tumour metabolism. The researchers used CRISPR

In people with diabetes mellitus, the heart is metabolically characterized by the excessive use of fatty acids and diminished oxidation of glucose. These changes are implicated in decreased cardiac efficiency, vulnerability to ischaemic insults and an increased risk of heart failure. Interestingly, these alterations have been observed even in the absence of any impairments in cardiac insulin signalling

In rodents, the endocrine pancreas consists of islets of Langerhans scattered throughout the exocrine acinar tissue and accounts for a minor fraction of the organ’s total volume. This anatomical configuration, combined with the small size of the islets and the fact that they are embedded within enzyme-rich exocrine tissue, has historically made isolating intact and functional islets a considerable

Depression is linked to an altered stress response, as measured by elevated levels of cortisol and systemic inflammation. Many individuals become resistant to pharmacological treatments; however, non-pharmacological treatments, such as increased physical activity and exercise training, can reduce symptoms of depression in some patients. A decade ago, a key paper helped to define the mechanisms that

The first CRFR1 antagonist (crinecerfont) to be used for the treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia recently received FDA approval. This Clinical Outlook discusses the latest phase III studies in children and adults, as well as how crinecerfont — in combination with glucocorticoid replacement — might change clinical practice and affect long-term co-morbidities.

Physical exercise is well known to help to prevent obesity and to benefit cardiometabolic health. A new study in Nature Communications aimed to determine whether physical exercise could reverse cardiac dysfunction caused by a high-fat, high-calorie (HFHC) diet. “We originally wanted to observe a possible cardioprotective effect of physical exercise in HFHC-fed mice,” explains corresponding author Lang

Skeletal muscle produces a range of myokines, which have various effects throughout the body. Two new studies published in Nature Metabolism have identified a myokine that they have termed feimin, and characterized its effects on glucose homeostasis and exercise performance. Using mice with whole-body knockout of the gene encoding feimin or one of various organ-specific knockout models (for example

As the field of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) evolves, research into how this type of treatment affects metabolism is needed to continually improve healthcare for transgender individuals. Twenty transgender men and 15 transgender women participated in the study. GAHT was administered independently of the study, so there was variation in the treatment regimens within each group. Before GAHT

Circadian misalignment affects physiology and metabolism and increases the risk of developing cardiometabolic disease. A pivotal study by Frank Scheer’s team provided clear evidence that misaligned sleep–wake cycles and fasting–eating cycles impair glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and blood pressure, highlighting the importance of synchronizing lifestyles with our internal biological clocks.