Cellular Mechanisms of Testosterone in Metabolic Disorders
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2026 | Viewed by 245
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Testosterone exerts multifaceted effects on energy homeostasis, body composition, and cardiometabolic health, yet the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying its actions in metabolic disease remain elusive due to the tissue-specific and context-dependent nature of its signalling, the interplay with other endocrine and metabolic pathways, and the limited integration of preclinical and clinical data. Although clinical studies have investigated testosterone’s impact on type 2 diabetes, obesity, body composition, and cardiometabolic parameters, results are often heterogeneous, highlighting the critical need for mechanistic research to delineate tissue and pathway-specific actions. The escalating prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) underscores the urgency of understanding these mechanisms, not only to advance disease pathophysiology but also to inform novel, targeted therapeutic strategies. Likewise, with the growing clinical use of testosterone replacement therapy to manage symptomatic testosterone deficiency, mechanistic studies are critical to delineate whether testosterone can be leveraged as a targeted metabolic intervention.
At the cellular level, testosterone regulates metabolic tissue function through diverse, interconnected mechanisms controlling energy utilisation, cellular signalling, tissue remodelling, and inter-organ crosstalk. These mechanisms are particularly pertinent in the context of contemporary metabolic therapies such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which effectively promote weight loss but are known to often compromise lean mass, highlighting the potential complementary value of testosterone’s anabolic and metabolic effects.
This Special Issue welcomes high-quality original research, mechanistic studies, and reviews exploring testosterone’s cellular and molecular actions in metabolic tissues. Submissions addressing tissue-specific effects, sex differences, and translational relevance are encouraged, but all work advancing our understanding of testosterone in metabolic health and disease will be considered.
Dr. Daniel M. Kelly
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- testosterone
- metabolism
- type 2 diabetes
- obesity
- metabolic syndrome
- MASLD
- skeletal muscle
- adipose tissue
- insulin resistance
- endocrine signalling
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