A novel secreted glycoprotein that regulates bone resorption has been identified. The protein, termed Osteoprotegerin (OPG), is a novel member of the TNF receptor superfamily. In vivo, hepatic expression of OPG in transgenic mice results in a profound yet nonlethal osteopetrosis, coincident with a decrease in later stages of osteoclast differentiation. These same effects are observed upon administration of recombinant OPG into normal mice. In vitro, osteoclast differentiation from precursor cells is blocked in a dose-dependent manner by recombinant OPG. Furthermore, OPG blocks ovariectomy-associated bone loss in rats. These data show that OPG can act as a soluble factor in the regulation of bone mass and imply a utility for OPG in the treatment of osteoporosis associated with increased osteoclast activity.

We show that transplantation of adult bone marrow-derived cells expressing c-kit reduces hyperglycemia in mice with streptozotocin-induced pancreatic damage. Although quantitative analysis of the pancreas revealed a low frequency of donor insulin-positive cells, these cells were not present at the onset of blood glucose reduction. Instead, the majority of transplanted cells were localized to ductal and islet structures, and their presence was accompanied by a proliferation of recipient pancreatic cells that resulted in insulin production. The capacity of transplanted bone marrow-derived stem cells to initiate endogenous pancreatic tissue regeneration represents a previously unrecognized means by which these cells can contribute to the restoration of organ function.

Summary Various bacterial species accumulate intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) granules as energy and carbon reserves inside their cells. PHAs are biodegradable, environmentally friendly and biocompatible thermoplastics. Varying in toughness and flexibility, depending on their formulation, they can be used in various ways similar to many nonbiodegradable petrochemical plastics currently in use. They can be used either in pure form or as additives to oil‐derived plastics such as polyethylene. However, these bioplastics are currently far more expensive than petrochemically based plastics and are therefore used mostly in applications that conventional plastics cannot perform, such as medical applications. PHAs are immunologically inert and are only slowly degraded in human tissue, which means they can be used as devices inside the body. Recent research has focused on the use of alternative substrates, novel extraction methods, genetically enhanced species and mixed cultures with a view to make PHAs more commercially attractive.

The DALI Lifestyle Study Context: Lifestyle approaches for preventing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have produced mixed results. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three lifestyle interventions (Healthy eating (HE), Physical activity (PA) and both HE and PA (HE+PA)) with usual care (UC) in reducing GDM risk. Design: Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial 2012-2014: The Dali Lifestyle Study Setting: Antenatal clinics across 11 centres in 9 European countries Patients: Consecutive pregnant women <20 weeks gestation with a BMI≥29 kg/m 2 and without GDM by IADPSG criteria (n=436).Intervention: Women were randomized, stratified by site, to Control, HE, PA or HE+PA. Women received 5 face-to-face and up to 4 telephone coaching sessions, based on the principles of motivational interviewing. Gestational weight gain (GWG) <5kg was targeted. Coaches received standardized training and an intervention toolkit tailored to their culture/language. Main outcome measures: GWG at 35-37 weeks, fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR) at 24-28 weeks. Results: We randomized 108 women to HE&PA, 113 to HE, 110 to PA and 105 to UC. In the HE+PA group, but not HE or PA alone, women achieved substantially less GWG than controls by 35-37 weeks . Despite this reduction there were no improvements in fasting or post-load glucose or,insulin concentrations or HOMA-IR. Birthweight, large and small for gestational age rates were similar. Copyright 2016 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2016 Conclusions: The combined HE+PA intervention was able to limit GWG but did not reduce fasting glycaemia. Lifestyle change alone is unlikely to prevent GDM among women with a BMI≥29 kg/m 2 .PRECIS: We studied pregnant women in a large European multi-centre RCT of physical activity and/or healthy eating and found no effect on GDM risk in spite of significant gestational weight gain limitation INTRODUCTIONGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), high pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are independently associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, including macrosomia, operative delivery and shoulder dystocia (1). In GDM, such complications have a continuous relationship with maternal glucose concentrations during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (2). With the increasing prevalence of obesity in pregnancy and GDM (3), it has become increasingly important to develop evidence based clinical interventions that prevent the development of GDM and minimise excess GWG. The development of type 2 diabetes through intensive lifestyle interventions can be reduced by 58% over 4 years in non-pregnant women who have previously had GDM (4). However, whether GDM can be prevented through antenatal lifestyle interventions, even with limitation in excess GWG, is disputed (5). RCTs have provided variable evidence that lifestyle interventions 'work' (6); likely because of different intervention protocols and study populations. Furthermore, at the moment, no studies are available that assessed, ...