Insulin News and Research

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Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert glucose, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin allows cells to use glucose for fuel and is secreted by beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. The release of insulin from the pancreas is stimulated by increased blood glucose, vagal nerve stimulation, and other factors. Insulin is obtained from various animals and available in a variety of preparations. Commercial insulin preparations differ in a number of ways, including differences in the animal species from which they are obtained; their purity, concentration, and solubility; and the time of onset and duration of their biologic action. An oral hypoglycemic agent is not a form of insulin therapy.

Scientists discover how vitamin K pathway regulates bone remodeling

Bone is continuously renewed through a process known as bone remodeling, in which osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) build new bone, while osteoclasts (bone-resorbing cells) remove older mineralized tissue.

21 May 2026

Restoring ADAR2 enzyme reduces metastatic spread in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults. Although chemotherapy and surgery have improved survival for localized disease, outcomes remain poor when tumors spread to the lungs or return after treatment.

20 May 2026

Gut-localized drug avoids systemic safety risks while reversing hormonal imbalances in mice

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal disorders in women of reproductive age. It can cause irregular periods, infertility, weight gain, insulin resistance, and elevated male hormone levels. Current treatments mainly focus on managing symptoms rather than addressing underlying causes.

20 May 2026

Real-time narration, head safety, and biometrics with wearables

Wearables can bridge the communication gap between the body and a computer. They can serve various purposes, from displaying real-time narration from actual speech, to generating readable, measurable signals translated directly from the body and understood within the medical space.

19 May 2026

New therapies could help type 1 diabetes care move beyond insulin alone

Disease-modifying therapies for type 1 diabetes are beginning to move care beyond insulin replacement by targeting immune dysregulation, beta-cell stress, and preservation of endogenous beta-cell function. Teplizumab marks a major clinical milestone, but the review emphasizes that durable metabolic remission will likely require earlier screening, better patient selection, and sequential or combination therapies.

18 May 2026

Global consortium renames polycystic ovary syndrome to reflect science

First, it was named after two men. Then, it was named for a false premise. Now, after more than a century, one of the most common hormone disorders affecting women worldwide has a name that reflects the science.

18 May 2026

Integrated care needed for lifelong Polyendocrine Ovarian Syndrome management

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which has just been renamed Polyendocrine Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), is the most common hormonal and metabolic disorder affecting women of reproductive age, impacting up to 13% of this population and contributing to nearly 40% of infertility cases worldwide.

18 May 2026

Olive waste extract may help lower fat and improve muscle markers

A polyphenol-rich olive oil byproduct may enhance muscle health, reducing fat mass and improving antioxidant markers in adults with metabolic risk factors.

18 May 2026

Hydrogel breakthrough offers significant advance in type 1 diabetes treatment

Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) have reached a significant advance in the fight against type 1 diabetes. Using an innovative hydrogel that supports insulin-producing cells once transplanted into the body, the team successfully regulated blood sugar levels in diabetic mice.

18 May 2026

Healthy plant-based foods may improve pregnancy cardiometabolic markers

Higher-quality plant-based diets were associated with more favorable cardiometabolic biomarkers in pregnant U.S. women, especially higher HDL-C and lower TG/HDL-C ratio. Indices that emphasized healthy plant foods, rather than simply penalizing animal foods, showed the strongest links with insulin resistance and lipid markers.

15 May 2026

Adult weight gain strongly linked to higher obesity-related cancer risk

New research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) shows that people who gain the highest amount of weight across adulthood are at greatly increased risk of certain obesity related cancers.

13 May 2026

Immune-regulating molecule may offer new treatment approach for IBD patients

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified an immune-regulating molecule that may help explain why some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, do not respond to commonly used therapies.

13 May 2026

Why experts say PCOS needs a new name

A Lancet Health Policy paper reports an international consensus process that selected polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) as the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The change aims to shift the focus away from ovarian cysts and better reflect the condition’s endocrine, metabolic, and ovarian features.

13 May 2026

Gut microbes may reveal why diabetes raises heart disease risk

Integrated gut microbiome and plasma metabolomics profiling identified distinct microbial and metabolic signatures in people with T2DM and T2DM-CAD. In a small exploratory cohort, Bacteroides sp._CAG_875 and 12-ketoLCA emerged as candidate markers that may help distinguish diabetic patients with coronary complications, pending larger validation.

13 May 2026

Once-daily orforglipron helps preserve weight loss after semaglutide or tirzepatide

Oral orforglipron helped adults maintain clinically meaningful weight loss after prior injectable tirzepatide or semaglutide therapy. The phase 3b ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial suggests switching to once-daily oral therapy may help reduce weight regain when injectable treatment is discontinued.

13 May 2026

Perimenopausal women face higher risk of low heart health

Perimenopausal women were two times more likely to have a low cardiovascular health score compared to women having regular menstrual cycles, according to an analysis of nationwide U.S. data published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

13 May 2026

Large human islet study reveals new insights into diabetes risk

Diabetes is the most common and serious chronic disease worldwide, characterized by insufficient insulin to maintain proper blood glucose levels.

12 May 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help breast cancer patients live longer?

A large retrospective cohort study of adult female breast cancer patients found that GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with better all-cause survival and recurrence-free survival in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. The strongest associations were seen versus non-use in obesity and versus insulin or metformin in type 2 diabetes, while comparisons with SGLT2 inhibitors were less consistent and require further study.

12 May 2026

Maternal insulin resistance linked to higher abdominal fat in girls

Girls born to mothers with higher insulin resistance during the third trimester are more likely to have more abdominal fat at age 7, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague.

12 May 2026

Cannabis compounds may improve metabolism and reduce diabetes risk

A University of California, Riverside preclinical study is shedding light on a long-observed but poorly understood phenomenon: chronic cannabis users tend to have lower body weight and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, despite the drug's well-known tendency to increase appetite.

11 May 2026