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Insulin resistance is a main determinant in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Here, the authors review the physiological links between circadian clocks and insulin sensitivity and present current evidence for a relationship between circadian disruption and insulin resistance.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity are major public health challenges; emerging evidence suggests that melatonin is involved in the development of these disorders, opening new avenues for research. This Review discusses the effect of melatonin and its receptors on glucose homeostasis, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Loss or dysfunction of β-cells is a characteristic of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Regeneration of β-cells might stop or reverse the progression of the disease. This Review discusses the different modelling systems and technologies currently used to study β-cell biology in health and disease.
Cachexia is a multi-organ syndrome associated with cancer. In this Review, Josep M. Argilés and colleagues discuss the role of different tissues and organs in cancer cachexia and examine studies that investigate the development of novel therapeutics for the condition.
The association between obesity and increased risk of developing cancer is partly driven by disruption of metabolism and inflammation in the adipose tissue. This Review discusses changes in the adipose tissue microenvironment during body-weight gain and how these changes affect tumour initiation and growth.
Therapeutic treatments that target multiple signalling pathways in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) could be more effective at reversing the progression of these diseases than current therapies. In this Review, the authors discuss advances in combination pharmacotherapies that target multiple pathways for the treatment of obesity and T2DM.
This Review focuses on the evolutionary origins, structure and signalling pathways of the Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaSR), as well as the roles of the CaSR in calcitropic and noncalcitropic diseases.
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors prevent cardiovascular events by lowering levels of LDL cholesterol derived from the liver. However, PCSK9 is expressed in many other tissues, including the pancreas and central nervous system. This Review explores the functions of PCSK9 beyond the control of cholesterol levels.
Pituitary gigantism is a rare growth disorder caused by excessive release of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1. This Review discusses the diagnosis, genetic causes and clinical management of pituitary gigantism.
The signalling events leading to insulin release from β-cells are tightly controlled and new techniques are needed to understand the complicated interactions. This Review discusses new optical tools available to further our understanding of β-cell function and insulin release.
Over the past 10 years, evidence has accumulated to suggest that α-cells are involved in the development of diabetes mellitus. This Review outlines our current understanding of α-cells and discusses how they could be targeted in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
This Review discusses the role of the Chinese Famine in the current epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus in China and highlights lessons to be learned.
This Review focuses on the function of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in controlling metabolism and their influence in metabolic diseases (including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). The therapeutic potential of targeting HIFs for the treatment of metabolic diseases will also be discussed.
Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is a vital component of cellular metabolism and the extracellular matrix of the skeleton. In this Review, Sampada Chande and Clemens Bergwitz discuss the metabolic effects of Pi and the consequences of its dysregulation.
The WNT signalling pathway has been identified as a potential target for the development of therapeutics for osteoporosis. This Review discusses the specificity and potential off-target actions of WNT-based therapeutics and describes the available preclinical and clinical studies.
Circulating and imaging biomarkers could be useful for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). Here, Wouter de Herder and colleagues review the latest research on biomarkers in the NET field and provide clinicians with a comprehensive overview of relevant diagnostic biomarkers.
Small papillary thyroid cancers are considered low risk and account for the majority of incidental thyroid nodules. Here, Tracy S. Wang and Julie A. Sosa discuss the current debates and advances regarding the diagnosis and optimal treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer.
Treatment protocols for thyroid cancers range from active surveillance to total thyroidectomy followed by radioiodine remnant ablation. In this Review, the authors discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the surveillance tools and follow-up strategies used by clinicians in the treatment of thyroid cancers.
The prevalence of obesity in combination with sarcopenia is increasing in adults aged 65 years and older. Here, John Batsis and Dennis Villareal explore the sex-specific hormonal changes, inflammatory pathways and myocellular mechanisms that lead to the development of sarcopenic obesity.
Many mechanistic processes during ageing and age-related diseases cause inflammation. In this Review, the authors discuss the relationship between the immune and metabolic systems during ageing and age-related diseases and the potential use of new biomarkers capable of distinguishing between biological and chronological age in metabolic diseases.