Experts warn mothers and babies at growing risk without better care for type 2 diabetes

Researchers from across the UK and Ireland are calling for urgent action to improve care for women with early-onset type 2 diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.

University of Leicester

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Professor Claire Meek

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Credit: University of Leicester

Researchers from across the UK and Ireland are calling for urgent action to improve care for women with early-onset type 2 diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.

The call follows a new consensus statement developed by an expert group of clinicians and researchers from the UK and Ireland. 

The statement sets out critical gaps in current knowledge and clear priorities for future research to better support women and their babies.

Clinical Senior Lecturer in Women’s Health and Diabetes at King’s College London, Dr Sara White explains: “Type 2 diabetes in women of reproductive age is rising, yet evidence to guide safe and effective care across pregnancy is limited. 

“From the experience of clinicians and women living with diabetes, we know that being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at a young age increases the risk of serious problems during pregnancy, as well as long-term health problems for both mothers and their babies.

“Even so, most research has focused on managing blood sugar during pregnancy. Much less attention has been given to helping women prepare before pregnancy, supporting them after birth, and understanding the wider social factors that affect health outcomes.”

The consensus statement, published in Diabetic Medicine on 16 March 2026 brings together evidence from three large systematic reviews, alongside expert and audience discussion from the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference in 2025. 

It highlights an urgent need to rethink how care is designed and delivered for this group of women.

Professor of Chemical Pathology and Diabetes in Pregnancy at the University of Leicester, Claire Meek, who receives funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), said the lack of evidence leaves both women and clinicians navigating pregnancy with too little support.

She said: “Women with early-onset type 2 diabetes are often managing complex health needs at a young age, yet the systems around them are not designed with that reality in mind.

“We need coordinated, evidence-based care that starts before pregnancy, continues after birth, and recognises the wider social and cultural barriers many women face.”

The group identifies several priority areas where research and service change could make an immediate difference. These include improving access to preconception care, supporting healthy weight before, during and after pregnancy and strengthening postnatal follow-up to reduce long-term risks such as cardiovascular disease. 

The statement also stresses the importance of addressing inequalities linked to deprivation, ethnicity, language barriers and access to healthcare.

Researchers emphasise that listening to women’s experiences must sit at the heart of future work. Many women report feeling judged or stigmatised, poorly informed about pregnancy risks, and unsupported once specialist maternity care ends.

Dr Rita Forde Senior Lecturer, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork added: “By setting out a shared research agenda we hope to accelerate studies co-developed with women and communities that will improve outcomes for these women and their future children.” 

The consensus statement calls on funders, policymakers and healthcare leaders to act now, warning that without targeted investment, preventable harms to women and babies will continue to rise alongside the growing prevalence of early-onset type 2 diabetes.

Researchers belonging to the following institutions contributed to the consensus statement: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, the University of Leicester, Newcastle University, King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Glasgow, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and in Ireland - University College Cork, and the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. 

The NIHR Leicester BRC is part of the NIHR and hosted by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in partnership with the University of Leicester, Loughborough University and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.

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Journal

Diabetic Medicine

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

A call to action: A consensus statement on knowledge gaps and research priorities on the management of women with early onset type 2 diabetes in the preconception, pregnancy and postnatal periods

Article Publication Date

13-Mar-2026

New study fills research gap in food safety to better protect pregnant people from Listeria

Study develops first biologically plausible dose-response models specific to Listeria and stillbirth risk during pregnancy

Society for Risk Analysis

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Herdon, VA, March 17, 2026 — Listeria is the third-leading cause of death among bacterial foodborne pathogens in the U.S. and pregnant individuals bear a disproportionate share of that burden. Yet the scientific models used to set food safety policy have rarely been designed with pregnant people specifically in mind. A new study to be published in Risk Analysis aims to change that. 

Each year, approximately 1,250 Americans contract listeriosis, the illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes. The disease carries a staggering 86% hospitalization rate and is fatal in approximately 14% of cases. For pregnant individuals, the stakes are even higher: pregnancy-associated cases account for 14% of all listeriosis cases, and when listeria reaches the fetus, it causes stillbirth in 25% of those infections. Many pregnant individuals experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, or none at all, while the bacterium silently crosses the placenta. Recent outbreaks in 2021-2023 linked to ice cream, queso fresco, and enoki mushrooms resulted in five stillbirths in just three years. 

Researchers Tyler Stump, Carly Gomez, Ph.D. and Jade Mitchell, Ph.D. of Michigan State University set out to fill this gap. By analyzing animal studies that tracked how pregnant hosts respond to specific doses of L. monocytogenes, the team developed new biologically plausible dose-response models — one for maternal infection and one for stillbirth — built on data from guinea pigs and gerbils, which share key biological traits with humans relevant to listeria pathogenesis. 

The study found that fetal brain infection is a more precise and reliable indicator of stillbirth risk than direct stillbirth outcomes alone. Fetal brain infection was present in every observed stillbirth and absent in all non-stillbirth cases, making it a verifiable surrogate endpoint that significantly strengthened the model’s accuracy. By pooling this data with other stillbirth datasets, the researchers produced a better-fitting model than any previously available. 

“Public health agencies should use population-specific models like these when developing food safety guidance rather than applying generic population estimates,” said Mitchell, professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University. “As listeria outbreaks continue to occur, having more precise risk assessment tools will support more informed and protective food safety policies.” 

The authors caution that pregnancy involves a unique combination of physiological, behavioral, and clinical variables that cannot be captured by applying general immunocompromised population models. Their work calls on public health agencies to use population-specific models when developing food safety guidelines for sensitive groups. 

FDA guidance recommends that pregnant individuals avoid high-risk foods including unpasteurized cheeses, raw sprouts, deli meats, hot dogs, and smoked seafood unless heated thoroughly. Listeria is unusual among foodborne pathogens because it can grow even under refrigeration, making careful food handling particularly important. Symptoms of listeriosis such as fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea may appear anywhere from one day to several weeks after exposure.   

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About Society for Risk Analysis 

The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) is a multidisciplinary, global organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of risk analysis. Founded in 1980, SRA brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from diverse fields including engineering, public health, environmental science, economics, and decision theory. The Society fosters collaboration and communication on risk assessment, management, and communication to inform decision-making and protect public well-being. SRA supports a wide range of scholarly activities, publications, and conferences. Learn more at www.sra.org. 

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Journal

Risk Analysis

Article Title

Development of dose-response models for the ingestion exposure route and stillbirth outcome for Listeria monocytogenes

Article Publication Date

17-Mar-2026

Can surfboards, handbags and coffins be made from mushrooms?

Issued on: 27/02/2026

FRANCE24
03:35 min

Can mushrooms replace leather and plastic? Thanks to mycelium derived from fungi, companies can now make 100 percent biodegradable products such as shoes and furniture that look exactly like leather. Major brands are already trying to make the shift. Our France 2 colleagues report.

BY: Elitsa GADEVA

 

Less trippy, more therapeutic ‘magic mushrooms’

American Chemical Society

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Psilocybin — the psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms” — is gaining scientific attention for its potential in treating neuropsychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and certain neurodegenerative diseases. However, its hallucinogenic effects may limit broader therapeutic applications. Researchers publishing in ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry synthesized modified versions of psilocin, the active form of psilocybin, that retained their activity while producing fewer hallucinogenic-like effects than pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin in a preliminary study in mice. 

“Our findings are consistent with a growing scientific perspective suggesting that psychedelic effects and serotonergic activity may be dissociated,” says Andrea Mattarei, a corresponding author of the study. “This opens the possibility of designing new therapeutics that retain beneficial biological activity while reducing hallucinogenic responses, potentially enabling safer and more practical treatment strategies.”  

Mood disorders and some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, involve imbalances of the neurotransmitter molecule serotonin, which helps regulate mood and other brain functions. For decades, scientists have been investigating the therapeutic use of psychedelics such as psilocybin on serotonin-signaling pathways. However, the hallucinations that can accompany these drugs may make people wary of taking them, even if there is a medical benefit. 

So, a team led by Sara De Martin, Mattarei and Paolo Manfredi chemically engineered five psilocin derivatives for slower, sustained and potentially non-hallucinogenic release into the brain. They first tested these five compounds using human plasma samples and laboratory conditions mimicking gastrointestinal absorption. These experiments allowed the team to identify a compound they named 4e as the most promising candidate because it displayed favorable stability for absorption and enabled a gradual release of psilocin — a feature that could potentially mitigate hallucinogenic effects. Importantly, 4e retained activity at key serotonin receptors at levels comparable to psilocin. 

Next, the researchers compared the effects of equivalent doses of 4e with pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin in mice. The team administered the compounds orally to mice and measured how much psilocin reached the bloodstream and brain over a 48-hour period. In mice dosed with 4e, the compound was able to cross the blood–brain barrier effectively and exhibited a lower but more sustained presence of psilocin in their brains compared to those treated with psilocybin. When the researchers looked at mouse behavior, they observed that 4e-treated animals exhibited significantly fewer head twitches — a well-established marker of psychedelic-like activity in rodents — than those receiving psilocybin, despite the strong serotonin receptor activity of 4e. This behavioral difference appeared to be associated primarily with the amount and timing of psilocin released in the brain.  

The researchers say their findings demonstrate the feasibility of developing stable brain-penetrating psilocin derivatives that retain serotonin receptor activity while reducing acute mind-altering effects. Further studies will be needed to clarify their mechanism of action and fully characterize their biological effects before assessing their therapeutic potential and safety in humans.  

The authors acknowledge funding from MGGM Therapeutics, LLC, in collaboration with NeuroArbor Therapeutics Inc. Several authors declare they are inventors on patents related to psilocin.  

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1876 and chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is committed to improving all lives through the transforming power of chemistry. Its mission is to advance scientific knowledge, empower a global community and champion scientific integrity, and its vision is a world built on science. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, e-books and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. 

Registered journalists can subscribe to the ACS journalist news portal on EurekAlert! to access embargoed and public science press releases. For media inquiries, contact newsroom@acs.org. 

Note: ACS does not conduct research but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. 

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Journal

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

DOI

10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c01797 

Article Title

Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacokinetic Profiling of Fluorinated Reversible N-Alkyl Carbamate Derivatives of Psilocin for Sub-Hallucinogenic Brain Exposure

Treatment with psychedelics may provide a missing link towards long-term PTSD recovery

A study in Biological Psychiatry shows that myelin remodeling after treatment with psilocybin or MDMA can tune disrupted brain circuits, bridging the gap between the short-lived psychedelic experience and long-term neural health

Elsevier

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A novel study in Biological Psychiatry identifies myelin plasticity after treatment with psychedelics as the missing link towards long-term PTSD recovery, triggering a large-scale reconfiguration of brain network dynamics.

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Credit: Biological Psychiatry / Bostancıklıoğlu et al.

March 4, 2026 – Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not only characterized by strongly encoded traumatic memories, but also by disrupted coordination across brain networks. New research shows that treatment with psychedelic drugs triggers a large-scale reconfiguration of brain network dynamics driven by the remodeling of myelin—the neuronal insulation layer. The findings from the novel study in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, show enhancing myelination might be a viable strategy to augment or sustain the therapeutic effects of psychedelic-assisted treatments for PTSD and related disorders.

Psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produce rapid clinical effects in patients with PTSD. However, durable benefits require circuit-level stabilization. As the underlying cellular mechanisms remain incompletely understood, the current study identifies myelin as the missing link bridging the short-lived psychedelic experience and longer-term maintenance of healthier neural network dynamics. The study shows that activity-dependent oligodendrogenesis and myelin remodeling can tune the disrupted timing and persistent response to threat observed in PTSD by synchronizing and harmonizing the rhythm of brain circuits.

John Krystal, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry, explains, “The focus of psychedelic and MDMA research has been the effects of these drugs on neurons and neuroplasticity. This work has largely ignored a potentially important role for other cell types in the neurobiology of their therapeutic effects. Oligodendrocytes play a number of roles in the brain, which produce the myelin that insulates neurons. Subgroups of oligodendrocytes take up glutamate and contribute to glutamate homeostasis, protecting the brain from neurotoxicity. Another group of oligodendrocytes is involved in immune and inflammatory functions in the brain.”

Researchers used a rat model of contextual fear conditioning and administered repeated low doses of psilocybin or MDMA. They then quantified anxiety-like and exploration behaviors and assessed spatial learning and memory.

The results showed that anxiety-like behaviors were reduced—a shift accompanied by changes in oligodendrocyte biology and multi-omic (genetic) signatures towards myelin remodeling in the dentate gyrus (part of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center).

“To test whether myelin integrity was simply associated with behavioral change—or actually required for it—we combined the drug interventions with models that either damaged brain insulation (demyelination) or chemically enhanced it (promyelination) to see how these changes affected recovery,” explains lead investigator Mehmet Bostancıklıoğlu, PhD, Department of Physiology, Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.

Using high-powered microscopy and genetic analysis, the researchers confirmed both psilocybin and MDMA trigger physical myelin repair. Furthermore, a serotonin receptor 5-HT2A blockade prevented both the behavioral and myelin-associated effects. When the team used a different drug (anisomycin) to block the formation of fear memories, anxiety decreased, but the myelin remained unrepaired. This suggests that while memories can be suppressed, biological recovery requires the structural support of myelin.

“Taken together, this moves oligodendrocytes and adaptive myelination from ‘background correlates’ to a mechanistically testable gate on the durability of psychedelic-associated circuit change,” notes Dr. Bostancıklıoğlu.

“The implication of oligodendrocytes in the therapeutic effects of psychedelics and MDMA is important because of their many functions in the brain, including myelin formation, glutamate homeostasis, and neuroinflammation. The dependency of the therapeutic effects of these drugs in animals may suggest that myelin compromise may undermine their efficacy,” adds Dr. Krystal. “Overall, these data suggest that psychedelics and MDMA, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and ketamine, may promote the recovery from stress-related damage to myelin, contributing to clinical recovery.”

The study also found that psilocybin and MDMA reduce astrocyte reactivity that can cause inflammation.

The investigators point out that enhancing myelination would not be expected to replace psychotherapy; rather, it could support consolidation and maintenance of healthier network communication after the acute psychedelic session, when the brain is transitioning from destabilization back towards reintegration.

Dr. Bostancıklıoğlu concludes, “We often talk about psychedelics as ‘opening a window’ for brain plasticity. Recent work emphasizes that these drugs can acutely loosen entrenched network patterns and then leave a sub-acute period in which experience can reshape circuits. What we show here is that myelin-producing cells may be an underappreciated part of that story—helping translate a transient window into longer-lasting circuit change, at least in a fear-based rat model.”

 

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Journal

Biological Psychiatry

DOI

10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.01.016 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

MDMA and Psilocybin Regulate Oligodendrocyte-Lineage Cell Numbers and Anxiety-Like Behaviors in a Rat Model of Fear

COI Statement

The authors’ affiliations and disclosures of financial relationships and conflicts of interest are available in the article. John H. Krystal, MD, is Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, Chief of Psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and a research psychiatrist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. His disclosures of financial relationships and conflicts of interest are available at https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/content/bps-editorial-disclosures.