Volume 16 Issue 9, September 2020

The sudden outbreak and global spread of COVID-19 represents one of the most profound societal and public health challenges in modern times. In this Comment, we call attention to the possibility that the societal strategies implemented to oppose COVID-19 might have long-term, negative effects on the obesity epidemic.

Thermogenic adipose tissue is a metabolic sink for excess fuel and is a promising target for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, hurdles exist in activating thermogenic adipose tissue in humans. A new study developed a drug screening platform utilizing human beige adipose tissue and identified non-canonical activators.

For type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), keeping glucose levels within the normal range of 65–150 mg/dl with administered insulin has had limited success. Now, Fussenegger and colleagues have engineered cells to release insulin in response to electrical signals, but can this advance lead to better glucose control?

Pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction are diseases of pregnancy that arise from disorders of placental development. This Review discusses healthy development of the placenta and considers disease mechanisms, biomarkers and diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction.

This Review highlights the beneficial adaptive responses to exercise in skeletal muscle and other tissues as well as their molecular mechanisms. In addition, the possibility of exercise-like therapeutic interventions is discussed, providing relevant examples that have used this approach.

This Review highlights the research advances, advantages and challenges in several different strategies for generating functional β-cells for therapeutic use in diabetes mellitus. In addition, scalable bioengineering processes are also discussed for the realization of the therapeutic potential of derived β-cells.

This Review discusses the ways in which adult reproductive function can be shaped by childhood events and examines the evidence for the epigenetic regulation of key regulatory genes that govern the central control of reproduction.