ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

Several interesting articles have been published in the field of growth and growth factors during the last twelve months. Here, we report a series of papers mainly selected on the basis of their potential clinical impact. A group of papers focused on the efficacy and/or safety of GH treatment in different conditions associated with short stature, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, GH deficiency alone or associated with type 1 diabetes, small-for-gestational age and achondroplasia. The use of a combination of genomic analyses has allowed the detection of new genetic variants associated with different forms of intrauterine growth retardation, including small-for-gestational age and Silver-Russell syndrome. In this context, a new definition of fetal growth restriction to be adopted in clinical practice and in clinical trials has been provided by an international panel of experts. Activating mutations in the STAT3 gene have been associated with immune dysfunction and severe growth failure. The prevalence of ACAN gene mutations in a large cohort of subjects with idiopathic short stature has been reported for the first time. Interestingly, a large-scale population-based study has related childhood stature with ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. Finally, the key role of IGF2 in cartilage development and glucose metabolism during postnatal long bone growth has been elucidated in an elegant Igf2 knockout murine model. We hope you find the selected papers helpful for your daily work as a clinician or researcher in the fascinating field of growth and growth disorders.