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Ancient cave paintings can harbor human DNA for millennia, scientists find
The breakthrough could reveal previously hidden ancient human activity inside caves, acting as ‘genetic archives’
Business News: Breaking N3W5 - Former AP CEO Bennahmias Announces First New Watch Brand
Ex-Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henri Bennahmias unveils 'N3W5' - the first watch brand under his 'The Honourable Merchants Group' luxury startup. It won't debut until late next year.
PS5 ‘shovelware’ studio says all its games are being removed due to Sony’s ‘stricter guidelines’
Afil Games has more than 140 games on the PlayStation Store…
Inside the “simple job” in government Platner held before Senate run
Platner once said the office of harbormaster of Sullivan, Maine, might've been his ceiling in politics.
2026 NHL Draft: Defensemen targets for the Penguins
Piggybacking off the earlier look into the forwards that could make sense for the Penguins to consider with the 22nd pick in Friday’s NHL draft, let’s take a turn to the blueline. Be it coincidence or preference, Kyle Dubas has only drafted one defenseman in the first round since he became a general manager in […]
A leader in the study of longevity is returning to UCLA Health
Dr. Steve Horvath, a leader in the study of longevity and developer of the epigenetic clock, is returning to UCLA Health.
Science-Backed Beauty Formulations Market Size and Growth Analysis Study 2026 to 2035
Global Science-Backed Beauty Formulations Market Size is predicted to grow at a 8.6% CAGR during the forecast period for 2026 to 2035. The skincare formulations segment is set to take a large share of the science-backed beauty market. This growth comes from more people focusing on skin health, anti-ageing, acne, hyperpigmentation, and barrier repair.
French Quarter Business
French Quarter Business #1 New Orleans, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (Photo Jeff Strout) George Messina, Shelley Pigeon, Stacey Messina, Steven Queyrouze
HHS announces over $700M in grants for mental health initiatives, addiction treatment and housing programs
The money includes $238.6 million to improve suicide crisis hotlines and $223.1 million to expand community behavioral health clinics. Dozens of programs all over the country are set to receive the funding.
NERF Action Xperience finally coming to Pigeon Forge, along with Peppa Pig
Here’s what to expect from The Play District: Powered by Hasbro, an indoor attraction featuring NERF, Peppa Pig and other brands near Gatlinburg.
Send Crimson Desert your "fun and incredible videos", and you could win an all-expenses-paid trip to South Korea
Crimson Desert, the open-world action RPG from Pearl Abyss, has a new challenge for Greymanes – a community challenge video event.
How science is securing Michigan's pork future
Seventy-five percent of state's pigs are now covered by an SPS on-farm biosecurity plan, strengthening the responses farmers will have to an FAD.
Pigeons are famous long-distance flyers. And apparently the liver could be their GPS
From wartime messages to love letters, pigeons have carried our mail for centuries. A new study suggests the secret to how they find their way might be hiding in an unexpected place: the liver.
NOVUS vet: viral mitigation remains top priority for nursery pig health
NOVUS veterinarian Dr. Alex Hintz says producers are looking for viral mitigation tools for nursery pigs. Speaking to Brownfield at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines Wednesday, he said producers and vets understand a viral outbreak in the nursery phase can be devastating, and a robust management program is key.
Scientists probe how pigeons use magnetism to navigate
Homing pigeons rely on a variety of signals to navigate, including magnetism. But it hasn't been clear how they detect magnetic cues. Researchers propose the answer may be found in the birds' livers.
What To Expect From Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase
The only confirmed reveal so far is Miss Piggy
Multi-Organ Xenotransplants Could Be One Day Be An Option As Scientists Show Success Transplanting Kidneys and Liver From Pig To Human
The successful surgery in a deceased recipient provides a foundation for future procedures in living people.
Scientists discover inherited traits that break Mendel’s Laws of genetics
A major mouse study found that some inherited traits are passed down through epigenetic changes that break the classic rules of genetics. Researchers discovered hundreds of cases where these chemical DNA marks behaved unexpectedly, including some that seemed to emerge out of nowhere. They also identified the first known naturally occurring paramutation in a mammal, hinting that environmental influences may play a larger role in inheritance than scientists realized.
Rare Pigmentation In A Deep-Sea Shark Could Change How Scientists Think About Camouflage
A rare deep-sea sevengill shark with unusual patchy coloration was found to be in poor energetic condition, suggesting that even subtle disruptions to camouflage in the deep ocean may carry real survival costs.
Birds navigate using ‘gut feeling’, scientists find
The liver’s iron-rich immune cells act as an internal compass that helps pigeons detect Earth’s magnetic field
Homing pigeons may use a surprising navigation mechanism
How animals navigate by Earth's magnetic field is hotly debated. New research in pigeons points to iron-laden liver immune cells as the compass.
Pigeons use their livers to sense Earth’s magnetic field
Special immune cells may be one piece of their internal compass.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's lawyers reportedly send cease and desist to Underdog Sports over foul-baiting board game
How do pigeons sense Earth's magnetic field? Scientists just solved the mystery.
New research suggests that pigeons use magnetic sensors in their livers.
Reservations Requested For FONS Annual Meeting To Include Pig Roast-Picnic Dinner, Live Entertainment
The 2026 Friends of Newtown Seniors Membership Meeting will be conducted Thursday, June 11, at 5 pm, at Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street. The event is open to Newtown residents age 55 and ov...
Mariners win battle of piggyback starters against A’s, 9-2
Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller combine to hold A’s to two runs
Sprinkle list: Lawmakers steer millions toward South Florida projects
Last-minute legislative earmarks sent millions toward South Florida education, healthcare and infrastructure initiatives.
Pigskin Prattle: Lookin’ Ahead
I don’t always think about football in May. But when I do, I drink Dr. Brown’s Diet Cream Soda. Stay thirsty, my friends. So, yeah, it’s drizzly, as it is most every Memorial Day weekend it seems. Didn’t there used to be a Reggae Fest at the Water Tower that would get rained upon more […]
'We can identify these really early, before the clinical diagnosis': Epigenetic markers may help explain why Native Hawaiians are aging faster
Live Science spoke with Alika Maunakea, an Native Hawaiian epigeneticist, about how epigenetics underpins health disparities between Native Hawaiians and others in Hawaii.
20 New Watches You Missed from Omega, Audemars Piguet, Seiko, Timex and More
Keep time with the industry's most exciting new watches, including Omega, Audemars Piguet, Seiko, Timex, and more.
Detroit Lions May Offseason Workout Medical Update: Terrion Arnold
Injury updates from the Detroit Lions 2026 offseason workouts in late April and early May. Medical recap and outlook for Terrion Arnold.
Wrestling with Pigs
The first field report of the year from St. Louis and Houston, earlier this month.
May 31: "Stadium Sling Bag Giveaway" presented by the Rich Entertainment Group, as Bisons host IronPigs (1pm)
GET MY TICKETS Everyone needs a good companion when they head out to the ballpark, and Sunday, May 31st is a great chance for you to get a new stadium essential. Before the Bisons game against the IronPigs at 1:05 p.m., we'll be hosting a Stadium Sling Bag Giveaway, presented
May 31: "Stadium Sling Bag Giveaway" presented by the Rich Entertainment Group, as Bisons host IronPigs (1pm)
The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips.
Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: OT Terence Steele
What are your expectations for Terence Steele this season?
Audemars Piguet walks a fine line between hype and cheapening brand
Fans had to endure long lines, fistfights, and even tear gas to cop the $400 Audemars Piguet and Swatch "Royal Pop" pocket watches.
Business News: Royal Pop Sales Resume After Launch Rush For Audemars Piguet X Swatch Collaboration Forced Store Closures
This weekend's Royal Pop launch ends in disappointment and frustration at more than a dozen Swatch boutiques globally.
River Pig Saloon owner speaks out after violent crimes outside business: 'Frustrates me, my staff, the neighborhood, everyone'
Colin McEnroe (opinion): Peppa Pig invites mudslinging to CT politics
Peppa Pig contributes to Erin Stewart's downfall as a GOP gubernatorial candidate, allowing rival Ryan Fazio to hog the spotlight.
Colin McEnroe (opinion): Peppa Pig invites mudslinging to CT politics
Peppa Pig contributes to Erin Stewart's downfall as a GOP gubernatorial candidate, allowing rival Ryan Fazio to hog the spotlight.
Trump, Xi and the Politics of Pig Rearing
The presidential summit and hopes for soybean deals are occurring against the backdrop of China’s struggling pork industry.
I've tested the Motorola Razr Fold for two weeks, and Samsung has a new reason to be nervous
I love Razr flip phones, but Motorola has made me fall in love with the Razr Fold.
Scientists say a daily multivitamin may help slow aging
A daily multivitamin may help slow biological aging, according to researchers studying older adults in a large clinical trial. After two years, participants taking multivitamins showed slower aging in several DNA-based “epigenetic clocks,” with the effect equal to about four months less biological aging. People who started out biologically older than their actual age appeared to benefit the most. The findings hint that a simple supplement could play a role in healthier aging.
New AI tool developed by Stowers Institute and Helmholtz Munich scientists predicts how cells choose their future — helping uncover hidden drivers of development
Scientists at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and Helmholtz Munich have developed RegVelo, a new AI framework that predicts how cells acquire their identities and identifies the genetic regulators guiding those changes. Published in Cell, the study used zebrafish neural crest development to show RegVelo can uncover early drivers of cell fate, including regulators of pigment cell formation, and then support those predictions experimentally. The researchers also applied the framework across multiple biological systems, suggesting its value extends beyond neural crest cells as a broadly useful tool for studying how cells change over time. The team says the new model could pave the way for future cell therapy treatments.
Diagnostic dilemma: A woman turned black and blue weeks after starting a new medication
A woman's sudden hyperpigmentation was a side effect of a medicine she was taking.
Potentially lost in USF St. Pete fire, irreplaceable marine research
Freezers holding samples from around the globe help advance world-class research. What comes next?
Flying Pig partners with 1N5 on suicide prevention in Blue Jean Mile
One of the first and shortest events of the Flying Pig Weekend may be its most impactful. Here's how 1N5 is using the Blue Jean Mile to promote mental health.
Introducing Mood Swings
Mark introduces and shares excitement for his brand-new trading card game, Mood Swings.
Top 10 things to do this weekend. Piggies, tacos and a big horse race
Don't miss all the fun festivities this weekend, with Flying Pig Marathon Weekend and Cincy-Cinco Latino Cultural Festival upon us.
OpenAI Really Wants Codex to Shut Up About Goblins
“Never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures unless it is absolutely and unambiguously relevant,” reads OpenAI's coding agent instructions.
From Brazil to Livingston: Vania Assis’ journey in science finds a home at UWA
Dr. Vania Assis grew up in a small town in Brazil where she rode horses, tended pigs and chickens alongside her father, even helping butcher cattle when the need arose. Now an assistant professor at UWA, Assis is committed to studying and protecting amphibians and educating others about this endangered group of vertebrates.
Things to do in Cincinnati this week, April 27-May 3
If you're looking for the best events happening in Cincinnati, you're at the right place. Find your next concert, game, festival or family event.
How Elon Musk Used SpaceX to Benefit Himself and His Businesses
The rocket maker has been a useful financial tool for Mr. Musk, providing the billionaire with loans and aiding his struggling companies, a Times examination found.
How Elon Musk Used SpaceX to Benefit Himself and His Businesses
The rocket maker has been a useful financial tool for Mr. Musk, providing the billionaire with loans and aiding his struggling companies, a Times examination found.
U.S. Forging a Healthier Oceania Through Trump Administration's America First Global Health Strategy Through Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding with Papua New Guinea - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China
United States Forging a Healthier Oceania Through Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy Through Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding with Papua New Guinea Press Statement Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson April 23, 2026 Yesterday the United States and Papua New Guinea signed a five-year bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. The landmark health MOU focuses on effectively addressing emerging infectious diseases and ongoing outbreaks, building and maintaining surge-response capacities, and enabling Papua New Guinea’s government to independently manage new health threats before they spread internationally. Working with Congress, the United States intends to provide $15 million through December 2030 through the jointly decided health MOU, building on decades of progress in reducing HIV infections and transmissions in Papua New Guinea. The government of Papua New Guinea intends to allocate up to $3 million to disease control programs and strengthen health systems at the national and provincial levels. Up to $5 million under the health MOU will directly support global health security funding, advancing our shared commitment to health security in the region. Through the signing of this $18 million MOU, we are bolstering infectious disease prevention and response by leveraging cost-effective, nationally-driven approaches, with the goal of increasing Papua New Guinea’s health system self-sufficiency. America First Global Health Strategy Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed so far represent more than $20.6 billion in new health funding, including more than $12.8 billion in U.S. assistance alongside $7.8 billion in co-investment from recipient countries, building on decades of progress fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases around the world. As of April 22, the State Department has signed 32 bilateral global health MOUs with Angola, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, and Uganda.
Scientists find perfect fossils in rust beneath Australian farmland
Beneath the dry farmland of New South Wales lies a hidden window into a lost rainforest teeming with life from 11-16 million years ago. At McGraths Flat, scientists have uncovered fossils preserved in astonishing detail—not in typical rock like shale or sandstone, but in iron-rich sediment once thought incapable of such preservation. Tiny iron particles filled and captured entire cells, preserving everything from insect organs to fish eye pigments and delicate spider hairs.
Saints down IronPigs for third straight victory
Despite being outhit 12-5 by visiting Lehigh Valley, the St. Paul Saints claimed their third win in a row with a 7-4 defeat of the IronPigs at CHS Field. St. Paul emerged from the first inning with a 3-1 lead after two-run homer by Alan Roden was followed by a solo shot from Kyler Fedko. After a scoreless second inning, the Saints went up 6-2 after the third after another exchange of runs ...
Report: Liverpool interested in move to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder
Liverpool monitoring Archie Gray situation closelyLiverpool’s recruitment strategy has long favoured intelligence over impulse, and their reported interest in Archie Gray reflects that philosophy on...
Rockets vs. Lakers: Can LeBron James shoulder the load if Luka Dončić can't go? Series keys, schedule and prediction
Hong Kong animal groups urge HKTVmall boycott over life science experiments
Online retailer facing major backlash after its parent company confirmed tests on pigs’ and sheep’s detached heads and limbs.
Netflix is launching a new app for kids games
It’s called Netflix Playground, and it’s out now.
Pigeon Town Steppers bring a pastel party to New Orleans Easter. 'It still gives me butterflies.'
The second line parade route changes, but always goes through Pigeon Town, Gert Town and Hollygrove.
High school sports results for Sunday, March 29, 2026
SUNDAY’S RESULTS Softball WPIAL CLASS 5A Section 4 Baldwin 3, Connellsville 2 RIPKEN EXPERIENCE At Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Yough 10, Martin County, Ky....
Business Lookahead: Gauging the war's impact
STORY: From a worrying drop in stocks to a surge in energy prices from the war in the Middle East to key data on jobs and trade, these are the stories to watch in business and finance in the coming week. ::Look Ahead::War impactThe first quarter is ending with financial markets at the mercy of geopolitics.The Iran war has wiped roughly $7 trillion off global stocks since it erupted.With oil prices up nearly 70% year to date, suddenly interest rates are heading up, rather than down, and energy-hungry AI does not look like such a slam-dunk anymore.Meanwhile, gold has plunged 16% after being nearly unstoppable since the start of 2025.We’ll see whether markets roll on or rollover as the second quarter begins.::Job growth in focusThe U.S. jobs report for March comes out Friday.It will offer a crucial view into the economy's health as investors gauge fallout from the energy price surge.Monthly payrolls are seen rising by 48,000, according to a Reuters poll. February's surprisingly weak report caught Wall Street off guard, showing nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000 while the unemployment rate increased to 4.4%.Uncertainty over the Iran war is also clouding the economic forecasts for the Federal Reserve, with Wall Street pulling back on expectations for U.S. interest rate cuts this year as the oil price surge fuels concerns about rising inflation.Other U.S. data in the coming week includes retail sales for February and reports on manufacturing and services activity.::Chip checkSouth Korea releases its trade data for March on Wednesday.It will provide an early indicator of how the global economy is holding up in the face of the war and the resulting shock to energy prices. Korea's export-heavy economy is a bellwether for global trade and one of the first to report data from the previous month.Its manufacturing fortunes are of even greater interest than usual, not just because of its dependence on Middle Eastern energy imports, but also because its world-leading DRAM chips are of critical importance to the AI sector and currently in short supply too. ::Inflation assessmentAnd flash euro zone inflation for March is due on Tuesday. After long hovering around the 2% mark, higher energy prices are now expected to push headline inflation up, as they did in 2022. The question is, how large and sustained any jump in inflation might be.Early data is not painting a pretty picture. Private sector growth in the euro zone slowed sharply in March, with input costs rising to their highest in more than three years and supply chains being significantly disrupted.Money markets are now heavily pricing in a rate hike which was almost unthinkable before the Iran war.
Health Insurance May Slow Toxin-Related Aging
A new study found that people with health insurance showed fewer signs of biological aging than those without coverage.
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
Spigen's New AirPods Pro 3 Case Is Modeled After the Original Macintosh Mouse
Accessory maker Spigen this week expanded its lineup of case options that are designed to look like vintage Apple Macs. The clever new Classic LS AirPods Pro 3 Case resembles a the iconic Apple Macintosh mouse, so it goes well with Spigen's Mac-style iPhone cases. Priced at $25 from Amazon, the case features the stone color that was used for the Classic Macintosh, along with a gray mouse button.
Spigen celebrates Apple’s 50th with retro Mac-inspired accessories
Spigen’s Classic LS lineup adds a retro MagSafe wallet and AirPods case inspired by classic Apple design with modern features.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is a free-to-play open world anime RPG with flying pigs and minecart levels
The latest RPG from Netmarble is a splashy fantasy anime confection, all Disney towers and fluttering windmills and jaunty sailboats and transforming pigs.
Dolly Parton Shares Health Update After Postponing Vegas Shows
Dolly Parton paid a visit to her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and shared an uplifting update on her health after canceling some recent appearances and postponing her Vegas residency.
What Mick Cronin said about Michigan State after UCLA's win
See what UCLA head coach Mick Cronin had to say after his team's Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan State.
Difficult people in your life might make you age faster, study suggests
New research suggests that difficult people, aka hasslers, contribute to chronic stress and elevate epigenetic biomarkers associated with aging.
The Stoop Pigeon reveals the home of its new women’s sports hub
The watch party bar, cafe and multiuse space is set to open in time for the FIFA World Cup.
Ocugen Provides Business Update with Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
Conference Call and Webcast Today at 8:30 a.m. ET Enrollment for the OCU400 Phase 3 liMeliGhT clinical trial—the first and largest gene therapy registrational trial for broad retinitis pigmentosa patients—was completed. Topline Phase 3 data expected in the first quarter 2027, advancing OCU400
'Lights, Rides, and Fun Nights!' 2026 St. Lucie County in full swing
The fair features a carnival midway, fair food, petting zoo, racing pigs, a cowboy circus, live music and other entertainment. The last day is March 8.
The WHO Chief Thinks Trump Is Missing a Political Opportunity
WHO’s Dr. Tedros combats vaccine skeptics, a $3,000 minipig powers Europe’s drug pipeline, and we appear to be entering our trillionaire era.
The more you fear aging, the faster your body may age
Worrying about getting older—especially fearing future health problems—may actually speed up aging at the cellular level, according to new research from NYU. In a study of more than 700 women, those who felt more anxious about aging showed signs of faster biological aging in their blood, measured using cutting-edge “epigenetic clocks.” Fears about declining health had the strongest link, while concerns about beauty or fertility didn’t appear to have the same biological impact.
Unlock the full potential of your Galaxy S26 with Spigen’s MagFit ecosystem
The Galaxy S26 looks and feels pretty similar to previous phones in the series, so if you’re upgrading this year,...
Unlock the full potential of your Galaxy S26 with Spigen’s MagFit ecosystem
The Galaxy S26 looks and feels pretty similar to previous phones in the series, so if you’re upgrading this year,...
Kazakhstan plants tens of thousands of trees in giant effort to reintroduce tigers
Kazakhstan planted 37,000 seedlings and cuttings in South Balkhash last year to prepare for the return of its tigers, which disappeared more than 70 years ago.
Understanding human behaviour for pandemic preparedness with epigames
Nature Health - Understanding human behaviour for pandemic preparedness with epigames
Feeling healthy, Carter determined to change the narrative
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- There are two things that Evan Carter would like to stop talking about soon enough: his ongoing health and his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He understands why the topics persist. But it’s up to him to change the narrative.
“He’s not even going to come over here. He’s pretty …
“He’s not even going to come over here. He’s pretty …
Blindness may no longer be irreversible. A discovery in South Korea just changed the science. - Futura-Sciences
More than 300 million people worldwide live with retinal diseases that medicine cannot yet reverse. Conditions like retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration destroy the photoreceptor cells that make sight possible, and once those cells die, they don’t come back, at least not in mammals. The reason puzzled researchers for decades,...
End of enhanced Obamacare subsidies puts tribal health lifeline at risk
Tribal health insurance programs face crisis as ACA enhanced subsidies expire, forcing tribes like Fort Peck and Blackfeet to limit enrollment.
Afraid of getting older? A study links health worries to faster epigenetic aging
Having anxiety about aging—particularly fears about declining health—may manifest on a cellular level and contribute to accelerated aging among women, according to a study by researchers at NYU School ...
Palantir Q4 earnings beat Wall Street estimates on strong sales to US businesses
Palantir reported earnings after the bell Monday.
Grammys 2026: Seattle rock star salutes Ozzy Osbourne with fiery performance
Guns n’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan participated in a literally fiery rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” that moved Osbourne’s family to tears.
Judge to weigh political motives in ICE surge
A federal judge has asked the Trump administration to respond to allegations from the state’s leaders that Operation Metro Surge is motivated by animosity toward Minnesota.
‘AI is the future’: UK launches state’s 1st Bachelor of Science in AI
From smartphones to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how the world works — and now, Kentucky students can be trained at the forefront of that transformation. The Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky has launched the Commonwealth’s first Bachelor of Science in AI. The undergraduate degree program, housed in the Department of Computer Science, will welcome its first class in Fall 2026.
Kawhi Leonard scores 24 points, returning from knee injury in Clippers' 112-104 win over Lakers
Rams vs. Panthers wild card score, live updates: Bryce Young looks to upset MVP favorite Matthew Stafford once more in 2025
Local Business Spotlight: Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic
For nearly a decade, Cedar Grove Veterinary Clinic has provided care for dogs, cats, lizards, guinea pigs, and other unique pets in Grand Marais. The clinic, owned by Dr. Nadder Samari, DVM, and his wife, Lee, began in 2017 and has been a staple in the small town since opening. “We fell in love with...
Trump tells Republicans: ‘You gotta win the midterms’ or ‘I’ll get impeached’
Trump was impeached twice during his first term when Democrats controlled the House.
100-pound concrete pig medallion returns to Washington business
The stolen medallion and outdoor chairs showed up overnight at a nearby business.