Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Small rodents are still the most widely used animal model to study the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus but non-rodent species can also provide valuable insights. The advantages and disadvantages of selected animal models of diabetes mellitus are outlined in this Review.
This Review highlights mechanisms of glucagon secretion from pancreatic α-cells, including paracrine actions in islets and α-cell–β-cell crosstalk. Dysregulated glucagon secretion in metabolic diseases is also considered and the clinical potential of targeting glucagon is discussed.
This Perspective discusses potential approaches to managing patients in the early stages of developing type 1 diabetes mellitus, which could enable the initiation of insulin therapy to be delayed in some patients.
Findings from the largest longitudinal study (315 participants) on psychosocial functioning in transgender or nonbinary youth after 2 years of gender-affirming hormone (GAH) therapy were recently published in New England Journal of Medicine. At a time of heightened politicization of this treatment, this study adds to the growing literature that demonstrates benefits of GAH therapy for transgender youth.
The field of bioenergetics is rapidly expanding with new discoveries of mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. The 2023 Keystone symposium on ‘Bioenergetics in Health and Disease’, which was jointly held with the symposium ‘Adipose Tissue: Energizing Good Fat’, consisted of a powerhouse line-up of researchers who shared their insights.
A transcriptomic analysis of endometriosis and comparison tissues has been conducted, revealing a rich and complex catalogue of single-cell-based expression data. This resource is an invaluable building block towards single cell profiling at scale, aiding research into endometriosis pathogenesis and new ways of diagnosing and treating the disease.
This Consensus Statement discusses the relationship between hyperferritinaemia and iron accumulation in individuals with metabolic dysfunction. The authors propose an updated definition and a provisional staging system for metabolic hyperferritinaemia, highlight research gaps and provide suggestions for the design and outcome measures for future studies.
A new study reveals that exposure of pregnant mice to an endocrine disrupting chemical, bisphenol A, induces multi-transgenerational (up to six) inheritance of obesity in their descendants. This effect depends on CTCF-dependent chromatin reorganization in the sperm, a synergistic outcome of altered DNA methylation, RNA modification and long-range chromatin interactions.
The skeletal muscle clock directs a circadian programme of gene expression that is fundamental to both skeletal muscle and systemic energy metabolism. Notably, exercise timing can influence the skeletal muscle clock, which provides a rationale for exploring its potential role as a chronotherapeutic strategy.
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is emerging as a key regulator of food intake and energy expenditure but the molecular and functional heterogeneity of DRN neurons is largely unknown. A new study characterizes the role of glutamatergic DRN neurons in the control of food intake and identifies a pharmacological approach to target these neurons in obesity.
