ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

To read the full abstract: Science. 2017; 357(6346)Current textbooks teach that adrenergic chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla originate from a sympathoadrenal cell lineage of the neural crest nearby the dorsal aorta. Here, Furlan et al. demonstrate a novel origin of these neuroendocrine cells of the medulla arising predominantly from Schwamm cell precursors (SCP) of peripheral nerves. Prev...

To read the full abstract: JCI Insight. 2018;3(2). pii: 98394The (human) adrenal cortex undergoes massive changes in structure and function from fetal to postnatal life, with the first consisting of a small outer definitive zone and a larger inner fetal zone, and the latter finally consisting of three distinct layers, namely the zona glomerulosa (ZG), fasciculata (ZF) and reticularis (ZR). Ho...

To read the full abstract: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2017;65:293-298Growth deceleration and impaired pubertal growth spurt are common concerns in patients with early onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (1-2). Previous studies confirmed the efficacy and safety of infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) antibody, in achieving clinical remission in luminal Crohn&#8...

To read the full abstract: Cell Metab. 2018, 27, 689-701The gold standard for the determination of BAT activity is the measurement of glucose uptake upon cold exposure using [18F]-FDG PET/CT. However, due to the use of ionizing radiation, this technique cannot be used repeatedly in longitudinal studies in humans. Alternatively, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and near-infrared fluorescence ...

To read the full abstract: N Engl J Med 2017;377:633-643Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) regulates levels of plasma LDL-C by interacting with the LDL receptor. After binding and internalization, PCSK9 directs the LDL receptor to lysosomal degradation and inhibits its recycling to the cell surface, and thus accelerates the degradation of hepatic LDL receptors. This reduces the ...

To read the full abstract: Lancet 2017;390:1664-1675Whoever could have imagined that a compound discovered as being secreted by enteroendocrine cells in the gut could have a role in treating Parkinson’s disease? GLP-1 does indeed have diverse actions on several peripheral organs (including tongue, stomach, adipose tissues, muscle, pancreas and liver) and on the brainstem to regulate...

In Brief: This comprehensive review classifies the known high bone mass (HBM) disorders based on Gene Ontology (GO) nomenclature. The authors emphasize the importance of functional genomics in the discovery of new HBM genes and discuss strategies to improve understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms and inform the development of therapeutic approaches.Commentary: HBM disorders are typically defined by a high areal bone marrow density (BMD) <em...

In Brief: The authors use cell tracing approaches in a PRMT5flox/Δ Ctsk-Cre strain to label periosteal stem cells (PSCs) and show that PSCs are not only essential for intramembranous bone formation but also for endochondral bone formation. The study identifies the role of PSC derived indian hedgehog (Ihh) in maintaining growth plate homeostasis and postnatal skeletal growth.Commentary: The skeleton harbors stem cells in three independent ...

Brief summary: In this multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, randomized trial, 97 adolescents (aged 10–16.9 years) were randomized within 21 days after the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) to receive either hybrid closed-loop therapy or standard insulin therapy (control) for 24 months. Although closed-loop therapy was associated with better glycemic outcomes, there were no differences in C-peptide between the two groups.The Closed Loop from Ons...

Brief summary: using a murine model of diabetes and ex vivo experiments in human T-cell cultures, this study showed that short-term administration of an antagonist to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) modulates functional T regulatory cells (Treg) expansion and thus prevents diabetes.This study provides further support for a role of the advanced glycation end-product (AGEs)-AGE receptor (RAGE) pathways in the pathogenesis ...