Infertility is a global phenomenon that impacts people of both the male and the female sex; it is related to multiple factors affecting an individual’s overall systemic health. Recently, investigators have been using mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for female-fertility-related disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure (POF), endometriosis, preeclampsia, and Asherman syndrome (AS). Studies have shown promising results, indicating that MSCs can enhance ovarian function and restore fertility for affected individuals. Due to their regenerative effects and their participation in several paracrine pathways, MSCs can improve the fertility outcome. However, their beneficial effects are dependent on the methodologies and materials used from isolation to reimplantation. In this review, we provide an overview of the protocols and methods used in applications of MSCs. Moreover, we summarize the findings of published preclinical studies on infertility treatments and discuss the multiple properties of these studies, depending on the isolation source of the MSCs used.

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic complication of pregnancy. Universal guidelines on gestational diabetes have been impeded by the long-term controversies on its definition and screening strategies. The prevalence of gestational diabetes is rising all over the world, is significantly influenced by ethnicity and its rise is mainly attributed to increasing maternal obesity and age. Gestational diabetes mellitus has important long-term implications, including gestational diabetes recurrence, increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease for the mother. Gestational diabetes mellitus may be viewed as a chronic metabolic disorder that is identified in women during gestation and may provide a unique opportunity for the early identification and primary prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in these women. In this mini-review, the evolution of screening tests for gestational diabetes and guidelines are briefly described and metabolic and cardiovascular long-term consequences of women with a history of gestational diabetes are summarized. A summary of our own St. Mary’s Hospital-UK Research series on long-term metabolic consequences of 368 women with a history of gestational diabetes of 3 different ethnic groups and 482 control women is also included. We found that approximately 2 years following delivery, 37% of women with a history of gestational diabetes had abnormal glucose concentrations, but, most importantly, even those who were normoglycaemic, postpartum displayed metabolic abnormalities on detailed testing. Future research needs to focus on the prevention of gestational diabetes long-term complications, but also in identification of pre-pregnancy predictors and risk reduction before conception.