Efficacy and safety of once weekly semaglutide 2·4 mg for weight management in a predominantly east Asian population with overweight or obesity (STEP 7): a double-blind, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Data on the benefits of the once weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide 2·4 mg for weight management in people from east Asia are insufficient. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of once weekly semaglutide 2·4 mg versus placebo for weight management in a predominantly east Asian adult population.

Methods: This randomised phase 3a, double-blind multicentre controlled trial (STEP 7) recruited participants from 23 hospitals and trial centres in China, Hong Kong, Brazil, and South Korea.

The phenotype and related gene expressions of macrophages in adipose tissue of T2D mice following MSCs infusion.

Background: Infusion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) induces polarization of M2 macrophages in adipose tissue of type 2 diabetes (T2D) mice. Studies have shown that M2 macrophages were divided into four sub-phenotypes (M2a, M2b, M2c and M2d) with different functions, and manuscripts have also confirmed that macrophages co-cultured with MSCs were not matched with known four phenotype macrophages. Therefore, our study explored the phenotype and related gene expressions of macrophages in the adipose tissue of T2D mice with/without MSCs infusion.

Predictive factors that influence the clinical efficacy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Our previous single-center, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 2 study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cell (UC-MSC) transfusion for treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Indeed, this potential treatment strategy was able to reduce insulin use by half in a considerable number of patients. However, many other patients' responses to UC-MSC transfusion were insignificant.

Clinical expert consensus on the assessment and protection of pancreatic islet β-cell function in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Islet β-cell dysfunction is a basic pathophysiological characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Appropriate assessment of islet β-cell function is beneficial to better management of T2DM. Protecting islet β-cell function is vital to delay the progress of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Randomised controlled trial: effect of metformin add-on therapy on functional cure in entecavir-treated patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Introduction And Objectives: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance, indicating functional cure or resolved chronic hepatitis B (CHB), remains difficult to achieve via nucleos(t)ide analogue monotherapy. We investigated whether metformin add-on therapy could help achieve this goal in entecavir-treated patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative CHB.

Patients And Methods: Patients with HBeAg-negative CHB who met eligibility criteria (entecavir treatment for > 12 months, HBsAg < 1000 IU/mL) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 24 weeks of either metformin (1000 mg, oral, once a day) or placebo (oral, once a day) add-on therapy.

Reversion of early- and late-stage β-cell dedifferentiation by human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in type 2 diabetic mice.

Background Aims: The authors aimed to observe β-cell dedifferentiation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and investigate the reversal effect of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) on early- and late-stage β-cell dedifferentiation.

Methods: In high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2DM mice, the authors examined the predominant role of β-cell dedifferentiation over apoptosis in the development of T2DM and observed the reversion of β-cell dedifferentiation by UC-MSCs. Next, the authors used db/db mice to observe the progress of β-cell dedifferentiation from early to late stage, after which UC-MSC infusions of the same amount were performed in the early and late stages of dedifferentiation.

M1 macrophages accelerate renal glomerular endothelial cell senescence through reactive oxygen species accumulation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Cellular senescence is a fundamental aging mechanism leading to tissue dysfunction. Accumulation of senescent cells is observed in the context of diabetes, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. Macrophages, the most prevalent leucocytes found in diabetic kidney, have been implicated in the modulation of cellular senescence; however, their role and mechanism in cellular senescence of diabetic kidney have not been determined.

The homing of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells and the subsequent modulation of macrophage polarization in type 2 diabetic mice.

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs), with both immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative properties, are promising for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As efficient cell therapy largely relies on appropriate homing to target tissues, knowing where and to what extent injected UC-MSCs have homed is critically important. However, bio-distribution data for UC-MSCs in T2DM subjects are extremely limited.

Pioglitazone improves the ability of learning and memory via activating ERK1/2 signaling pathway in the hippocampus of T2DM rats.

Objective: To explore the correlation between effect of PIO (pioglitazone, PIO) on learning as well as memory and ERK1/2 (extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2, ERK1/2) pathway in T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus, T2DM) rats, further to elucidate the potential mechanism of PIO in improvement of learning and memory.

Methods: 12-week-old male SD rats (number of 10 per group) were randomly divided into control group (CON), T2DM group (DM) and T2DM +PIO group (DM+PG). Rats in DM and DM+PG groups were given high fat diet for 20 weeks, then treated with Streptozotocin (27mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection at 21week.

Multicentre randomized controlled trial with sensor-augmented pump vs multiple daily injections in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes in China: Time to reach target glucose.

Aim: Sensor-augmented pump (SAP) technology, which combines continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM), has been available for several years in China. In this study, the time required to reach predefined glycaemic targets with SAP vs multiple daily injection (MDI) therapy was compared in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Adults (aged 18-65 years) with T2DM treated with insulin and admitted to hospital for glucose management were randomized to either SAP (Medtronic MiniMed™ Paradigm™ 722 system) or MDI with blinded CGM (Medtronic MiniMed CGMS System Gold™) for a 2-week period.

M2 macrophages infusion ameliorates obesity and insulin resistance by remodeling inflammatory/macrophages' homeostasis in obese mice.

Objective: The role of M2 macrophages infusion in dealing with obesity is still little known. In this study, the therapeutic effects of M2 macrophages infusion were investigated.

Methods: High fat diet (HFD) was used to induce obesity in C57BL/6N mice.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate hyperglycemia through regulating hepatic glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetic rats.

Infusion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been identified in the rapid alleviation in hyperglycemia of diabetic individuals, but the mechanism involved has not been adequately explained by these cells' potential role in modulating system insulin sensitivity and islet regeneration. In this study, we demonstrated adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) produced significantly lower blood glucose via promoting hepatic glycogen synthesis and inhibiting hepatic glucose production within 24 h after infusion in T2DM rats. In vitro, HepG2 cells treated with palmitate (PA) were used as a model of hepatic glucose metabolism disorder to confirm that ASCs stimulates the phosphorylation of hepatic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to restores hepatic glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes.

Cathepsin K: The association between Cathepsin K expression and sphenoid sinus invasion of pituitary adenomas.

Pituitary adenomas with sphenoid sinus or clivus invasion are not uncommon, but the pathogenesis responsible for this phenomenon remains unclear. Cathepsin K, expressed predominantly in osteoclasts, can degrade type I collagen and plays an essential role in bone resorption. Recent studies reported the expression of Cathepsin K in various malignant tumors, such as bone, breast, lung and prostate cancers, and its expression is further increased in bone metastasis or invasive subpopulations.