Insulin resistance — when the body doesn't properly respond to insulin, a hormone that helps control blood glucose levels — is one of the fundamental causes of diabetes. In addition to diabetes, it is widely known that insulin resistance can lead to cardiovascular, kidney and liver diseases. While insulin resistance is tightly associated with obesity, it has been difficult to evaluate insulin resistance itself in the clinic. For the first time, researchers including those from the University of Tokyo applied a machine learning-based prediction model of insulin resistance to half a million participants from the UK Biobank and demonstrated that insulin resistance is a risk factor for 12 types of cancer. 

Salk Institute scientists find the genome’s dynamic 3D shape influences gene expression, and that the protein NIPBL is a key facilitator of genome structures that inform cell identity. Their findings may inform new therapeutics for disorders related to dysfunctional genome folding, including some cancers and developmental disorders such as autism-related disorders.

The intricate, lifelong conversation between blood vessels and immune system is fundamental to health, and its breakdown is pathogenic to many diseases. A review, published on February 10, 2026, in Immunity & Inflammation by Prof. Yihai Cao at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, provides a systematic and mechanistic framework for understanding this dynamic crosstalk, offering a unified perspective on how vascular endothelial cells orchestrate immune responses and how their dysfunction leads to pathology.

A new international research paper is challenging long‑held beliefs about what makes the world’s fastest sprinters so quick, offering fresh insights that could transform how Australia develops its next generation of speed stars.

Physical therapy is a key step on the path to recovery after injuries or certain surgical procedures. A new survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows 3 out of 4 (76%) patients don’t complete their physical therapy homework, leading to stalled recoveries and potential surgical setbacks.

A research team led by Drs. Choong-Min Ryu and Hwi Won Seo at the Infectious Disease Research Center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) has proposed a new infection-prevention strategy based on the proactive activation of innate immunity using a compound already widely used in pharmaceuticals. The study focused on n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside(DDM), a substance previously known primarily as an excipient that stabilizes active ingredients during drug formulation. The researchers investigated whether DDM could also function as an immune-modulating agent capable of activating the body’s innate immune system.