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Focus on Metabolic Research Priorities in PCOS

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2025 | Viewed by 1193

Special Issue Editor

School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Interests: polycystic ovary syndrome; evolutionary origins; developmental origins; pathogenesis; microbiome; pathophysiology; epigenetics; nutritional biochemistry; pregnancy complications; lifestyle management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) contributes to the chronic disease epidemic and presents a significant global health challenge. PCOS affects 8–13% of women, and it usually presents in adolescence with a complex mixture of symptoms that result from underlying metabolic and endocrine disturbance. The dprogramming of inherited gene variants predisposes women with PCOS to reduced insulin sensitivity, a proinflammatory immune response, dysregulated hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian–adrenal function, and altered ovarian steroidogenesis that results in reduced estradiol production, hyperandrogenism, and anovulation.

A recent collaboration of the PCOS International Guideline Network generated a consensus roadmap for 150 clinical research priorities in PCOS. Surveys of women, stakeholder groups and healthcare providers called for an enhanced focus on the metabolic aspects, and a greater understanding of the long-term metabolic implications, of PCOS.

Insulin resistance is a key driver of metabolic dysfunction and there is a pressing need for research into accurate diagnostic tests, standardized reference values, predictive surrogate markers, and lifestyle and therapeutic treatment options tailored to a more personalized approach. A focus on precision medicine offers promising avenues for alleviating the burden of illness by tailoring prevention, diagnosis and treatment strategies for insulin resistance in PCOS.

This Special Issue would like to invite research directed to investigating the metabolic aspects of PCOS, particularly those that address evidence–practice gaps. We encourage the submission of a wide range of related research topics. This could include discovery research to help understand the pathophysiological causes and mechanisms of PCOS, clinical research to improve diagnosis and management, clinical trials focused on integrated multiomics, the assessment of wearable, digital, personalized monitoring technology, or research investigating the bidirectional relationships between insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and hyperandrogenism. We welcome original papers and reviews.

Dr. Jim Parker
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • polycystic ovary syndrome
  • metabolism
  • insulin resistance
  • inflammation
  • hyperandrogenism

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 641 KB  
Article
Associations of Serum GIP, GLP-1, and DPP-4 with Metabolic and Hormonal Profiles and Tobacco Exposure in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
by Anna Bizoń, Julia Borkowska, Grzegorz Franik and Agnieszka Piwowar
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7097; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157097 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 959
Abstract
Disorders in glucose metabolism are well-established features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and are linked to its clinical severity and phenotypic variability. This study aimed to assess serum concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and to [...] Read more.
Disorders in glucose metabolism are well-established features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and are linked to its clinical severity and phenotypic variability. This study aimed to assess serum concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and to examine their relationships with glucose and insulin levels, selected sex hormone concentrations, body weight, and exposure to tobacco smoke. Women with PCOS exhibited significantly elevated levels of fasting glucose, insulin, GIP, and GLP-1 compared to controls. Tobacco smoke exposure in women with PCOS was associated with reduced DPP-4 levels, which were approximately two-fold lower in smokers than in non-smokers. A significant negative correlation between DPP-4 and cotinine levels further supported this relationship. Comorbidities such as overweight/obesity or insulin resistance (IR) were also linked to elevated incretin hormone levels. However, no significant age-related trends in incretin levels were identified, despite the known association between age and glucose dysregulation. The notable alterations in incretin hormone profiles in PCOS, along with the consistent patterns of GIP or GLP-1 with metabolic and hormonal parameters, suggest that these hormones may play coordinated regulatory roles in the pathophysiology of PCOS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Focus on Metabolic Research Priorities in PCOS)
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