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A major limitation in determining the effects of growth hormone (GH) therapy on overall health has been the duration of studies, which have previously ranged from 1 year to 5 years. Elbornsson et al. now report the outcome of 15 years of GH treatment on body composition and lipid profile in patients with GH deficiency, but some questions remain unanswered.
Different genes are potentially activated in lean and adipose tissue in response to recombinant human growth hormone (GH) or its mediator, insulin-like growth factor 1. Decker and colleagues now present evidence that levels of circulating protein markers give clues about the biological efficacy of GH therapy in various body tissue compartments.
A recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism provides new data about the role of growth hormone (GH) in bone in Prader–Willi syndrome. The lack of positive effects of long-term GH therapy on BMD in young adults with Prader–Willi syndrome highlights the need to improve the transition from adolescent to adult health care.
Combination of the gene-expression classifier (GEC), with its high negative predictive value, and the BRAF mutation test, with its high specificity, might have a synergistic effect in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology. However, Kloos et al. demonstrate that the BRAF test is of no additional benefit in nodules categorized as 'benign' by GEC.
Biason-Lauber et al. have identified a SIRT1 mutation in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Considering that SIRT1 can inhibit autoimmunity and the SIRT1 mutation enhances autoimmune reactions, the work links genetic SIRT1 alteration to the pathogenesis of T1DM and suggests SIRT1 as a potential therapeutic target for T1DM.
Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is a term used for children with short stature that does not have a specific cause. This Review outlines the diagnostic evaluation and possible psychological consequences of ISS. Various strategies to treat children with ISS are discussed, together with an evaluation of the efficacy and safety of these approaches.
Adult growth hormone (GH) deficiency is now recognized as a distinct if nonspecific syndrome with considerable adverse health consequences. This Review outlines the physiological regulation and nonstatural effects of GH, and summarizes the consequences of adult GH deficiency, and the benefits and possible risks of GH replacement therapy.
Administration of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) or activation of endogenous GH production exhibits great potential to influence the onset and metabolic consequences of obesity; however, the clinical use of GH is not without controversy. This Review provides an introduction to the role of GH in obesity and summarizes clinical and preclinical data that describe how GH can influence the obese state.
In humans, growth hormone (GH) has major effects on brain function. Fred Nyberg and Mathias Hallberg outline the mechanisms that underlie the interactions between GH and the central nervous system. The role of GH as a treatment for patients with cognitive impairment owing to GH deficiency is also discussed.
This Review summarizes data on mouse strains with mutations that affect growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) action and their effects on lifespan. The outcome of corresponding or similar mutations in humans is described, as well as the potential mechanisms underlying increased longevity and the therapeutic benefits versus risks of medical disruption of the GH/IGF-1 axis in humans.
