Identifying neurological mechanisms that regulate feeding behaviour could help to advance the treatment and prevention of obesity and eating disorders. New research in mice has identified and localized a population of neurons that promotes eating to satiate hunger and reduces the desire to eat simply for pleasure. One subset of these DBBPENK neurons projects from the DBB to the paraventricular nucleus

Gene therapy holds tremendous promise for treating a wide range of hereditary and acquired diseases by delivering exogenous therapeutic nucleotide sequences into specific cells or tissues. Recent advances support the notion that gene therapy could offer a long-term cure for diabetes mellitus, something that current conventional pharmacotherapies cannot achieve.

It is well known that adipocytes are heterogeneous, and research about how best to identify and categorize adipocyte subclasses is ongoing. Thermogenic adipocytes are generally identified by the presence of UCP1; the futile creatine cycle is also an important thermogenic process in these cells. However, a lack of suitable models — particularly for beige adipose tissue — has stalled research into the

Two recent studies have unravelled novel modes of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) signalling regulation. Kizilkaya et al. characterized the effect of changes in β-arrestin 2 coupling with naturally occurring GIPR coding variants, whereas Regmi et al. investigated GIPR expression profiles and functional regulation in adipocytes.

The gut microbiota strongly influences digestive and metabolic health. A study recently published in Nature Metabolism reports a link between hydrogen sulfide released by the gut microbiota and GLP-1 production in the intestines. The findings might have implications for treatment and prevention of the metabolic syndrome. To elucidate the mechanism behind this response, the researchers studied interactions

People with diabetes mellitus have substantially reduced numbers of pancreatic β-cells compared with healthy individuals. Now, a study in Science Translational Medicine demonstrates the efficacy of a dual tyrosine-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) inhibitor treatment combined with a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonist for increasing human β-cell mass in vivo. The researchers transplanted human

In female individuals, oestradiol preserves bone mass. However, oestradiol levels drop during lactation, which is also a time when calcium is being removed from the maternal bone. How bone mass is maintained in lactating female individuals has been unclear. A study published in Nature has now identified a new mechanism for maintaining bone mass, which involves brain–bone crosstalk. Next, the researchers

The first menstrual period, or menarche, is an important milestone in female sexual maturation. Studies have begun to determine how genetic variation influences age at menarche (AAM), with a large study recently published in Nature Genetics adding considerably to this knowledge base. To study the effect of common genetic variants on AAM, the researchers performed the largest genome-wide association

One of the key drivers of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is androgen excess, which results in symptoms such as metabolic dysfunction, impaired ovulation and endometrial diseases. A new study in Science investigated the potential for artemisinin, an anti-malaria drug derived from Artemisia plants, and its analogues to reduce androgen levels in women with PCOS and improve PCOS symptoms. The researchers

A pressing need exists for drugs to treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, previously referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease). Now, three phase II clinical trials have reported encouraging findings on three different hormone receptor agonist drugs for MASLD. Over the past few years, great progress has been made in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity

The gut microbiota has a role in modifying host steroids, but the exact nature of this interaction has been unclear. New research shows that certain organisms in the gut microbiota produce the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (a derivative of progesterone), and also identified the mechanisms of this production. “Steroids are exquisitely potent signalling molecules, but that also means they’re found in

Despite the mounting evidence supporting the use of intermittent fasting as a safe and effective weight loss intervention, many myths about fasting persist in popular culture. Here, we review some common beliefs about intermittent fasting that are not supported by scientific evidence.

The 1980s marked the beginning of the era of molecular biology; the sky was the limit for new technologies using complex genetic constructs to create mouse models for use in every field of science. In particular, the area of endocrinology had a range of novel transgenic mouse models that encompassed knockouts and knockins that enabled the link from a phenotype to specific genes and gene networks to

The recent Consensus Statement on the diagnosis and management of prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas (prolactinomas) drew attention to molecular pathogenetic mechanisms. We comment that somatic screening for SF3B1 hotspot variants in select cases might alert to aggressive tumour behaviour and prompt the timely management and intense follow up of these challenging tumours.

Small-molecule drugs targeting the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, a glutamate-activated cation channel broadly expressed in neurons in the brain, had previously been investigated for weight loss in preclinical studies, but were not considered translationally viable due to adverse physiological and behavioural effects. Now, a study in Nature has combined an NMDA receptor antagonist (MK-801) with

Current guidelines for the delay and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus recommend for people with prediabetes to lose at least 7% of their body weight. Here, we advocate to use glycaemic remission as a goal of prevention in people with prediabetes and those who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is an age-related disease affecting 2–6% of men >40 years old. LOH is a result of reduced testosterone production by the testes and can lead to fatigue, sexual dysfunction and increased susceptibility to metabolic and degenerative diseases. A new study in Nature Aging investigated the mechanisms underlying LOH by assessing the structure and microenvironment of testes on

A recent study published in Cell Metabolism identifies a new mechanism by which obesity affects pituitary function through disrupting the unfolded protein response (UPR), and the resultant endocrine defects leading to maladptive hepatic UPR and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). Hormone secretion from the

It is very well known that brown adipose tissue (BAT) is involved in thermogenesis, particularly in rodents. However, whether and how BAT affects the metabolic health of adult humans has been unclear. A new study addresses this issue. In this study, the researchers generated mice with BAT-specific knockout of the mitochondrial BCAA carrier (MBC, encoded by Slc25a44), which meant that mitochondrial

The first precision therapy for children with achondroplasia, vosoritide, is now approved in many regions, including Australia, the USA, the European Union and Japan. This article discusses the recent trial results for this therapy regarding growth and the co-morbidities associated with achondroplasia and considers the rationale for its clinical use.

The First International Congress on Head and Neck Paragangliomas in 2023 launched a global initiative directed towards improving the management of head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs), including prevention, treatment and research. The Congress highlighted a lack of international evidence-based consensuses and guidelines for HNPGLs. The Congress will now convene triennially to foster personalized medicine

Daily levothyroxine (LT4) is the standard of care for the treatment of hypothyroidism; however, a small number of patients experience residual symptoms of hypothyroidism. Guidelines indicate that a trial with LT4 and liothyronine (LT3) could be attempted once other conditions have been addressed or excluded. Even so, currently, treatment of hypothyroidism can still be suboptimal.

The factors that determine an individual’s body weight are highly complex and incompletely understood. Currently, >1,000 genes that are associated with body weight have been identified; however, these variants explain only a small fraction of the population variance in BMI. Over the past few years, whole-exome sequencing has been applied at the population scale, in exome-wide association studies. Now

People with diabetes mellitus rely predominantly on finger pricking to measure blood levels of glucose, which can be onerous. A popular alternative is electrochemical microneedles used in continuous glucose monitors; however, these systems measure glucose levels in the interstitial fluid rather than in the blood directly, which potentially results in inaccurate measurements. A study in Nature Metabolism

Metformin is a first-line medication for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that acts to reduce blood levels of glucose, food intake and body weight. The mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of metformin are not completely understood and various modes of action have been proposed. Now, two independent studies published simultaneously in Nature Metabolism point towards a role for an appetite-suppressing