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.

Depression-like behavior may accelerate endocrine aging in primates

A new review was published in Volume 18 of Aging on June 11, 2026, titled "Age-related dysfunctions of the neuroendocrine axes in nonhuman primates with depression-like and anxious behavior."

1 Jul 2026

LEF1 and niche-derived factors regulate T cell stemness across chronic diseases

T cells are an elite fighting force of the immune system, seeking out and destroying diseased cells. But in a prolonged campaign against a chronic condition - like a viral infection, or cancer - the body needs a steady supply of these killer troops.

1 Jul 2026

GLP-1 medications may improve long-term health for people with peripheral artery disease

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) medications were shown to reduce the number of deaths, amputations and hospitalizations among people with Type 2 diabetes who also had narrowed leg arteries associated with PAD (peripheral artery disease), according to new, independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

1 Jul 2026

Analysis shows artificial sweeteners may harm adult metabolism function

Since the first introduction of saccharin, an array of artificial and other non-nutritive (i.e., low-calorie or calorie-free) sweeteners have become ubiquitous in the US food supply.

30 Jun 2026

Study links sedentary lifestyle to early mitochondrial dysfunction in adults

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz have found that healthy yet sedentary individuals show a significant, coordinated drop in muscle mitochondrial function that may precede the development of major diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.

29 Jun 2026

Study links diabetes to worse long COVID health outcomes

People with diabetes who have had COVID-19 tend to recover more slowly, experience more long COVID complications, have a poorer quality of life, and require closer and more prolonged monitoring by medical teams.

29 Jun 2026

Simple blood test could identify the most effective obesity drug

Fasting blood tests measuring GLP-1 and GIP levels may predict obesity treatment response to semaglutide and tirzepatide, enhancing personalized therapy.

29 Jun 2026

Semaglutide approval drove a surge in GLP-1 poison center exposures

Following semaglutide's approval, poison center reports of GLP-1 RA exposures doubled, revealing critical trends in patient safety and healthcare utilization.

26 Jun 2026

Neuroticism and adversity dominate depression and anxiety risk in UK Biobank study

In a UK Biobank study of 87,648 adults followed for 13.7 years, psychosocial factors accounted for the largest estimated population burden of depression and anxiety in both women and men. Neuroticism symptoms, childhood and adult adversity, obesity, chronic inflammation, and some reproductive factors in women were linked to incident mental health outcomes, although the PAF estimates remain theoretical and not proof of causality.

25 Jun 2026

Gut microbes emerge as potential players in estrogen-driven cancers

A new review maps how the endocrine-microbiome axis expands the estrobolome concept, showing that gut microbes may alter estrogen recycling, produce hormone-like metabolites, and shape inflammation and tissue environments in hormone-driven cancers. Human evidence remains mostly associative, so the authors call for causal models, longitudinal multi-omics, multi-kingdom profiling, and sex-stratified studies before microbiome-guided cancer strategies enter routine care.

25 Jun 2026

Gene linked to lower BMI points researchers toward a new obesity target

A review in Cardiology in Review highlights GPR75, a receptor for 20-HETE, as a promising therapeutic target for obesity and metabolic syndrome. Evidence from genetic studies, cell experiments, and mouse models suggests that blocking this pathway could influence weight gain, insulin resistance, hypertension, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction.

25 Jun 2026

Early diabetes drug treatment links to better survival after diagnosis thresholds

A Korean target trial emulation found that starting antidiabetic medication within 12 months of newly crossing type 2 diabetes diagnostic thresholds was associated with lower five-year all-cause mortality. MACE risk was numerically lower with earlier treatment, but the reductions in cardiovascular events were not statistically significant, underscoring the need for larger studies.

24 Jun 2026

PMOS rethink reframes a common hormone disorder as a whole-body disease

A new review reframes PCOS, now proposed as PMOS, as a systemic endocrine and metabolic disorder shaped by genetic, epigenetic, ovarian, metabolic, and neuroendocrine pathways. It highlights why inconsistent diagnosis and symptom-focused care have limited progress, while targeted therapies, biomarkers, machine learning, and organ-on-chip models may support more personalized treatment.

18 Jun 2026