Review Articles in 2024

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized not only by reproductive symptoms and hyperandrogenism but also by metabolic abnormalities, such as insulin resistance and obesity. This Review discusses the evidence of metabolic disorders in PCOS and for understanding PCOS as a metabolic disease.

This Review focuses on currently available literature describing sex differences in skeletal muscle metabolism in humans, as well as highlighting current research gaps within the field. These discussions serve as a call to action for sex-balanced research within exercise physiology.

This Review outlines how the effects of steroid hormones on hippocampal neuroplasticity across the adult lifespan differ between the sexes, highlighting the importance of considering sex and steroid hormones in biomedical research.

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) signalling modulation has shown beneficial effects in a wide range of diseases in preclinical research. This Review discusses the progression of research into the effects of GHRH agonist and antagonist treatment in several contexts, including cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular disease and metabolism.

This Review outlines the screening, enrolment and recruitment challenges in the TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study. The key findings related to the first primary end point are discussed, and future directions of study are highlighted.

This Review outlines the complex actions of metformin in metabolic regulation, providing a plausible basis for its benefits in the management of gestational diabetes mellitus. The authors also critically evaluate the safety profile of metformin use during pregnancy in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

This Review discusses the incidence, prevalence and disease burden of type 1 diabetes mellitus in older adults in diverse geographical regions. The challenges involved in defining and diagnosing type 1 diabetes mellitus in this population and the implications of these challenges for epidemiological studies of this disease are also addressed.

This Review discusses translational attempts to mitigate the inflammation that drives obesity-related cardiometabolic diseases. The Review also focuses on mechanisms that control inflammatory cascades, either through traditional anti-inflammatory drugs or via the specialized pro-resolving mediators that actively control the resolution of inflammation.

Various populations of skeletal stem and progenitor cells (SSPCs) exist within the native skeletal environments of humans and mice, with complex roles in the maintenance of bone tissue. This Review discusses the current state of knowledge of the identity and roles of SSPCs in skeletal health, disease and ageing.

This Review discusses the roles of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signalling in reducing the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Sex-dependent differences in MASLD susceptibility and the effects of GH and IGF1 on hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells are considered.

The tuberal hypothalamus regulates a range of crucial physiological processes, including energy homeostasis and metabolism. This Review discusses the intricate molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways that control the development of the tuberal hypothalamus, focusing on aspects that shape metabolic outcomes.

This Review outlines the multifaceted influence of obesity on cancer treatment effectiveness and associated toxicities, and explores complex issues, such as body composition and the obesity paradox, that link obesity with outcomes for patients with cancer.

The increasing prevalence of obesity is influenced by individual, biological, sociocultural and environmental factors; and many are already apparent in early childhood. This Review highlights the need for coordinated, multifaceted interventions across a child’s first 2,000 days to address this complex condition effectively.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus affects 8.5 million people globally and is characterized by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β cells. This Review discusses cell replacement therapies for T1DM and outlines the challenges and future directions

Thyroid nodules are common; the majority are benign and asymptomatic, and therefore the main aim of the diagnostic process is to determine their clinical significance without leading to overdiagnosis and, consequently, overtreatment, as outlined in this article.

Graves disease, an autoimmune disease characterized by an enlarged and overactive thyroid gland, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in iodine-sufficient areas. In this Review, the authors describe the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and conventional treatment of Graves hyperthyroidism and Graves orbitopathy and discuss advances that have enabled development of novel treatment modalities.

This article reviews the role of the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) pathway in bone homeostasis and of osteocytes as mechanosensors and drivers of bone remodelling. It will also discuss how the PTH1R–sclerostin axis can be harnessed for the treatment of bone disease induced by diabetes mellitus.

This Review discusses the current understanding of the concept of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), the challenges in defining MHO and how the MHO concept can be used to improve the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disease.

The gut microbiota has been implicated in the increasing prevalence of thyroid disorders, including autoimmune thyroid diseases and thyroid cancers, through its effects on gut integrity, immune regulation and thyroid hormone metabolism, as outlined in this article.

Many studies identified an increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) during the COVID-19 pandemic, but other reports do not support this association. This Review addresses the issue of the involvement of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the development of T1DM using evidence from epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies.