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.

Reprogramming immunity to protect beta cells in type 1 diabetes

In the battle against type 1 diabetes (T1D), one researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is leading a bold new front. With $1 million in funding from Breakthrough T1D, the leading global T1D research and advocacy organization, Leonardo Ferreira, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmacology and Immunology, and his collaborators at partnering institutions will explore a new approach to treating – and potentially curing – the disease.

7 Jan 2026

Blood biomarkers predict risk of multimorbidity in older adults

A small set of common blood biomarkers predicts which older adults will develop specific combinations of chronic diseases - and how quickly, a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in Nature Medicine reports.

7 Jan 2026

Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs

Just outside Salt Lake City sits an old, two-story, brick hotel. It's been given new life as a homeless shelter for seniors. The Medically Vulnerable People shelter — or MVP shelter, as it's known — is for people 62 and older or for younger adults with chronic health issues.

7 Jan 2026

A single immune protein may help explain why kidney and heart disease often develop together

This review synthesizes clinical, genetic, and mechanistic evidence showing that suPAR and related uPAR fragments are strongly associated with kidney, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease risk. It highlights suPAR as a stable biomarker of innate immune activation with potential pathogenic roles, while underscoring major gaps in assay standardization and therapeutic validation.

6 Jan 2026

Simple drug treatments could help older brains cope with memory decline and postoperative recovery

Simple pharmaceutical interventions could help older brains cope with memory impairment and recovery after surgery, new studies in mice suggest.

6 Jan 2026

Can ketogenic diets help PCOS? New analysis points to weight and insulin gains

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies found that ketogenic diets were associated with short-term reductions in body weight, waist circumference, insulin resistance, and some reproductive hormones in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, primarily among those with overweight or obesity. However, substantial heterogeneity, low certainty of evidence, limited safety reporting, and short follow-up periods mean the clinical effectiveness and long-term sustainability of ketogenic diets in PCOS remain uncertain.

5 Jan 2026

Common blood signals explain why chronic diseases cluster as we age

This population-based study shows that shared and pattern-specific blood biomarkers reflect biological vulnerability underlying multimorbidity and the pace at which chronic diseases accumulate in older adults. Metabolic and systemic stress markers such as GDF15, HbA1c, cystatin C, and insulin consistently tracked higher disease burden and faster accumulation, with findings replicated across cohorts.

5 Jan 2026

Novel method can generate functional organoids from human adult adipose tissue

A recent study published in Engineering has unveiled a novel approach to generating functional organoids from human adult adipose tissue.

30 Dec 2025

Calcium signaling helps maintain protein quality in the endoplasmic reticulum

Calcium (Ca2+) drives many cellular functions, though the way it controls quality of proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a cellular organelle that synthesizes and transports proteins, is widely unknown.

26 Dec 2025

How GLP‑1 agonists are shaping the future of obesity treatment with Dr Bryony Henderson

GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.

23 Dec 2025

An Arm and a Leg: A few more good things from 2025

An Arm and a Leg host Dan Weissmann breaks down how two states passed laws aimed at protecting people from things like medical debt, insurance delays and denials, and corporate profiteering.

23 Dec 2025

Mitochondria shift toward the cell edge in response to glucose

Unlike our organs, cell organelles such as mitochondria are not fixed in place, but when, where, how, and why organelles move remain unclear.

19 Dec 2025

Cutting carbs, not fat, may better control appetite in women

Research indicates low-carb diets may enhance appetite regulation and reduce food cues in women with lipedema, offering a dietary intervention advantage.

19 Dec 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher mortality in Black women with breast cancer

A study from Rutgers Cancer Institute researchers in eClinicalMedicine is the first to link ultra-processed foods to reduced survival in Black women with breast cancer.

18 Dec 2025

Gestational diabetes alters the placenta at the molecular level, study reveals

Gestational diabetes can cause a multitude of complications in the offspring, but to date, the reasons are incompletely understood.

18 Dec 2025

Scientists unravel how citrin deficiency can trigger fat buildup in the liver even in lean individuals

Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, have unraveled how citrin deficiency (CD), a rare genetic disorder that prevents the liver from converting food into energy efficiently, can trigger fat buildup in the liver - even in lean individuals.

18 Dec 2025

Strong heart health lowers long-term death risk in cancer survivors

Higher Life’s Simple 7 cardiovascular health scores were associated with lower long-term all-cause and cancer mortality in cancer survivors from a large Italian cohort. Inflammation, resting heart rate, and vitamin D statistically explained a substantial share of these associations, supporting shared cardiometabolic pathways across cancer and cardiovascular disease.

17 Dec 2025

Intermittent fasting edges daily calorie cuts for blood pressure and long-term cardiovascular risk estimates

In a real-world registry study of adults with overweight or obesity, 5:2 intermittent fasting and daily calorie restriction both improved blood pressure over 12 weeks. Intermittent fasting produced modestly greater reductions in systolic and pulse pressure and a larger drop in BMI-based 30-year cardiovascular risk scores, without superior lipid or glycaemic effects.

17 Dec 2025

How Traditional Chinese Medicine may reshape the gut microbiome to ease insulin resistance in PCOS

This review synthesizes evidence that gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to insulin resistance and symptom severity in polycystic ovary syndrome through impaired barrier function, inflammation, and altered microbial metabolites. It evaluates how Traditional Chinese Medicine may modulate these pathways while highlighting major gaps in clinical validation, safety, and standardization.

16 Dec 2025

Tau biology expands beyond microtubules to neurodegeneration, metabolism and mental illness

An Thought Leaders Invited Review published today in Genomic Psychiatry by Dr. Peng Lei and colleagues presents a sweeping synthesis of tau protein research that fundamentally reframes our understanding of this molecule's dual identity.

16 Dec 2025

Insulin News and Research

Further Reading

Reprogramming immunity to protect beta cells in type 1 diabetes

Blood biomarkers predict risk of multimorbidity in older adults

Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs

A single immune protein may help explain why kidney and heart disease often develop together

Simple drug treatments could help older brains cope with memory decline and postoperative recovery

Can ketogenic diets help PCOS? New analysis points to weight and insulin gains

Common blood signals explain why chronic diseases cluster as we age

Novel method can generate functional organoids from human adult adipose tissue

Calcium signaling helps maintain protein quality in the endoplasmic reticulum

How GLP‑1 agonists are shaping the future of obesity treatment with Dr Bryony Henderson

An Arm and a Leg: A few more good things from 2025

Mitochondria shift toward the cell edge in response to glucose

Cutting carbs, not fat, may better control appetite in women

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher mortality in Black women with breast cancer

Gestational diabetes alters the placenta at the molecular level, study reveals

Scientists unravel how citrin deficiency can trigger fat buildup in the liver even in lean individuals

Strong heart health lowers long-term death risk in cancer survivors

Intermittent fasting edges daily calorie cuts for blood pressure and long-term cardiovascular risk estimates

How Traditional Chinese Medicine may reshape the gut microbiome to ease insulin resistance in PCOS

Tau biology expands beyond microtubules to neurodegeneration, metabolism and mental illness

Lab Matters host Harriet Gould on building a more connected lab community

The Critical Role of Sample Storage in Drug Discovery and Development

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

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