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Increased infiltration of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) and their subsequent inflammatory effects are implicated in the development of insulin resistance among individuals with obesity. Interestingly, new data published in Cell Metabolism suggest that ATMs might also have important noninflammatory roles in lipid trafficking and its metabolic consequences.
This Review describes the progress that has been made towards classification of adrenocortical tumours to date based on key genomic approaches. In addition, the potential for the development and use of various molecular tools to personalize the management of patients with adrenocortical tumours is discussed.
Iodine from the diet is fundamental for brain development. Via milk, infants receive 40–45% of the iodine in their mother's diet during breastfeeding; however, it is unclear to what extent depot iodine supplements (that is, iodized oil) given to iodine-deficient breastfeeding mothers compares with direct supplementation of the infants.
The newly appreciated heterogeneity in type 1 diabetes mellitus implies that a personalized approach could be used to treat this disease; treatments that modify the immune system might be ideally suited to this purpose. This Review discusses the current knowledge on immune regulation and dysfunction in humans that could be used to develop new therapies.
New US guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity have disregarded robust evidence from intervention trials demonstrating the importance of dietary factors for weight control and disease prevention. This omission implies that diet composition does not matter, a stance that is potentially counterproductive for prevention and treatment strategies.
This Review discusses paradigm shifts in the treatment of hypothyroidism and their influence on clinical practice—a far from trivial issue, given the number of affected patients. Although levothyroxine monotherapy remains the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, the latest guidelines indicate that levothyroxine plus liothyronine combination therapy might be considered in specific circumstances.
Vitamin D receptor and enzymes that metabolize vitamin D are expressed in male reproductive organs. This Review highlights the role of vitamin D in male reproduction. Effects of vitamin D signalling on semen quality, estrogen responsiveness and the development of testicular germ cell tumours are discussed.
Limited options for clinical management of patients with juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus call for a novel therapeutic paradigm. Two innovative studies support endoplasmic reticulum as an emerging target for combating both autoimmune and heritable forms of this disease.
2013 was a good year for adrenocortical cancer, as the new knowledge gained holds great promise for patients. Advances were made in genetics, epigenetics, the advent of related technological and bioinformatic tools, and the feasibility of massive screening of people and samples.
This Review discusses the molecular mechanisms through which metformin acts on metabolism, mainly focussing on liver gluconeogenesis, and on tumourigenesis. In addition, the authors review the potential implications of new discoveries about the molecular targets of metformin for the development of antidiabetic and anticancer therapies.
