Cell-Membrane-Coated Cationic Nanoparticles Disguised as Macrophages for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Placental weight as a predictor of future health: Insights from a large-scale genome-wide association study

INTRODUCTION

Placental weight has been associated with various adult-onset diseases, but the causal relationships and underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

METHODS

This two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from multiple independent cohorts, primarily of European ancestry. The analysis included over 1.8 million individuals for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) outcomes. Data from four independent cohorts were used for validation. The inverse variance-weighted method was used for primary analysis, with weighted median, weighted mode, and MR-Egger regression for sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Each standard deviation increase in genetically predicted placental weight was associated with T2DM (β = -0.109, 95 % CI: -0.184 to -0.034), basal cell carcinoma (β = 0.130, 95 % CI: 0.016 to 0.245), acute upper respiratory infections (β = -0.062, 95 % CI: -0.113 to -0.011), neurological diseases (β = -0.009, 95 % CI: -0.014 to -0.003), and endometrial cancer (β = -0.561, 95 % CI: -0.961 to -0.161). Placental weight also showed significant negative associations with blood glucose levels (β = -0.102, 95 % CI: -0.200 to -0.004). Mediation analyses revealed that dried fruit intake mediated 14.68 % of the total effect on T2DM risk, while immune cell phenotype analysis identified HLA DR on CD33dim HLA DR + CD11b + as a potential mediator in the causal pathway.

CONCLUSION

This study provides genetic evidence for a causal relationship between placental weight and T2DM risk, mediated partly through dietary habits and immune pathways. These findings suggest that early-life placental development may influence long-term metabolic health, highlighting the importance of prenatal care in preventing adult-onset diseases.

Exosome-based cell therapy for diabetic foot ulcers: Present and prospect

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) represent a serious complication of diabetes with high incidence, requiring intensive treatment, prolonged hospitalization, and high costs. It poses a severe threat to the patient's life, resulting in substantial burdens on patient and healthcare system. However, the therapy of DFUs remains challenging. Therefore, exploring cell-free therapies for DFUs is both critical and urgent. Exosomes, as crucial mediators of intercellular communication, have been demonstrated potentially effective in anti-inflammation, angiogenesis, cell proliferation and migration, and collagen deposition. These functions have been proven beneficial in all stages of diabetic wound healing. This review aims to summarize the role and mechanisms of exosomes from diverse cellular sources in diabetic wound healing research. In addition, we elaborate on the challenges for clinical application, discuss the advantages of membrane vesicles as exosome mimics in wound healing, and present the therapeutic potential of exosomes and their mimetic vesicles for future clinical applications.

Anti-Diabetic Activity of a Novel Exopolysaccharide Produced by the Mangrove Endophytic Fungus Penicillium janthinellum N29

Marine microorganisms often produce exopolysaccharides with novel structures and diverse biological activities due to their specific marine environment. The novel active exopolysaccharides from marine microorganisms have become an important research area in new drug discovery, and show enormous development prospects. In the present study, a homogeneous exopolysaccharide from the fermented broth of the mangrove endophytic fungus Penicillium janthinellum N29, designated as PJ1-1, was obtained. The results of chemical and spectroscopic analyses showed that PJ1-1 was a novel galactomannan with a molecular weight of about 10.24 kDa. The backbone of PJ1-1 was composed of →2)-α-d-Manp-(1→, →4)-α-d-Manp-(1→, →3)-β-d-Galf-(1→ and →2)-β-d-Galf-(1→ units with partial glycosylation at C-3 of →2)-β-d-Galf-(1→ unit. PJ1-1 had a strong hypoglycemic activity in vitro, evaluated using the assay of α-glucosidase inhibition. The anti-diabetic effect of PJ1-1 in vivo was further investigated using mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin. The results indicated that PJ1-1 markedly reduced blood glucose level and improved glucose tolerance. Notably, PJ1-1 increased insulin sensitivity and ameliorated insulin resistance. Moreover, PJ1-1 significantly decreased the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, enhanced the level of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and alleviated dyslipidemia. These results revealed that PJ1-1 could be a potential source of anti-diabetic agent.