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Mauna Loa Observatory Survives Lava, Budget Cuts And Politics
After a volcanic eruption and funding threats, NOAA says Mauna Loa's world-famous CO₂ record is secure, accessible again, and undergoing major upgrades.
Trump in ‘Excellent Health,’ Took Cognitive Test, Doctor Says
President Donald Trump “remains in excellent health,” according to the White House doctor, after undergoing a physical earlier this week which included a cognitive test.
WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel amended
WHO Member States adopted a resolution to amend the ‘WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel’ (the Code) and strengthen its implementation, following Member State-led consultations in the lead up to the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly. The resolution marks an important step towards the vision that everyone, everywhere can access competent and motivated health and care workers, as a foundation for both universal health coverage and global health security. Key additions to the Code focus on: inclusion of provisions on health personnel recruited internationally for employment as care workers; applicability of the Code recommendations during emergencies; and encouraging co-investment in health systems and health workforce to ensure international recruitment results in proportional benefits for source and destination countries.Since its adoption by the Sixty-third World Health Assembly in 2010, the Code has undergone three rounds of review of its relevance and effectiveness. “We welcome the resolution’s focus on sustainable and ethical mobility of health personnel,” explained Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General, Health Systems, Access and Data. “The Code’s adoption in 2010 was a landmark achievement. Following this update, we encourage all countries to enhance implementation, including by viewing co-investment as a win-win.” The additions were recommended by an Expert Advisory Group appointed by the WHO Director-General. The Expert Advisory Group’s final report noted the progress in health workforce data availability, provision of migrant health worker rights and the embedding of ethical recruitment principles in national policies. It also highlighted areas of possible improvement in the Code implementation, including support for the strengthening of health systems in source countries.The adoption of the resolution follows extensive consultations led by Member States, underscoring the continued relevance of the Code in a context of increasing international mobility of health workers and growing pressure on health systems resulting from global health emergencies and funding constraints.WHO is already taking forward actions called for in the resolution. An updated version of the ‘WHO health workforce support and safeguards list’, that guides ethical recruitment practices by identifying countries facing the most pressing health workforce challenges, will be published later in 2026. As recommended by the Expert Advisory Group, this will include additional flexibility enabling countries to indicate their willingness to allow active international recruitment, or for Member States not on the list to request tailored support and safeguards. This approach reflects a more nuanced, country-led framework that balances workforce mobility with the need to protect and strengthen health systems in vulnerable settings.“I thank the members of the Expert Advisory Group, the group of Member States who led the resolution, and all Member States for their constructive engagement,” added Dr Nakatani. “Let’s bring this spirit of collaboration to our collective efforts to implement the resolution, strengthen the health workforce and build resilient and equitable health systems.”
Sources: Lakers go through round of layoffs amid business reorganization
Team employees in communications, content, partnerships and other departments were part of Wednesday’s staff reductions, totaling more than a dozen people. The franchise had already undergone significant changes on the business side since M…
Science center sets reopening date for domed theater
Dome has been undergoing refurbishments since last summer.
Trump Undergoes a Physical Exam at Walter Reed
President Trump, whose health has been a subject of public scrutiny, will turn 80 next month.
Trump to undergo annual physical after year of public attention to health issues
US president, who turns 80 next month, frequently casts himself as fit but recent photos have added to questions about his health
Trump, near 80, to have annual physical amid scrutiny of recent ailments
U.S. President Donald Trump, who turns 80 next month, will undergo his routine annual physical on Tuesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, following a year of public attention on apparently minor health issues.
Trump’s advanced age and threats to his life serve as reminders of his own mortality
When President Donald Trump’s doctors release a summary of the physical exam he is scheduled to undergo Tuesday, the document is almost certain to conclude he remains in excellent health, if his previous assessments offer any indication.
Trump faces health questions ahead of another Walter Reed trip
President Donald Trump on Tuesday is expected to undergo his third scheduled medical checkup in 13 months, as outside physicians say they have persistent questions about the nearly 80-year-old preside...
La Porte County deputy shot at Michigan City hospital undergoes 8-hour surgery, officials say
Officials provided a health update Saturday on an Indiana sheriff's deputy who was critically hurt in a hospital shooting Friday in Michigan City.
From red to blue: Deschutes County politics shift left after election
After Tuesday’s election results, the balance of power on the Deschutes County Commission is undergoing what some observers describe as a seismic shift to the left. Democrats and left-leaning candidates […]
UW-Madison Science Hall receives gift
After receiving a large donation, UW-Madison's Science Hall will undergo a major renovation after receiving a large donation.
iPhone 19 Pro prototypes are being tested with quad-curved screens, new rumor says
Expect Chinese Android smartphone makers to go back to curved screens too. Apple's iPhone 19 Pro and iPhone 19 Pro Max prototypes are currently undergoing...
$85.2 million gift from John and Tashia Morgridge will support Science Hall transformation
The historic building will undergo renovation starting in 2027 to restore its iconic exterior, modernize its interior to support learning and research.
US-bound flights with passengers who were in Ebola-affected region must land at Dulles airport for health screening
US-bound flights carrying passengers who were recently in an Ebola-affected region of Africa must land at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, where they will undergo health screening.
Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos undergoes Tommy John surgery
A two-time All-Star, Berríos has a 7-year, $131 million contract that runs through the 2028 season.
Jake Fraley To Undergo Sports Hernia Procedure
The Rays lose a platoon bat in their outfield, as Jake Fraley will be out of action for up to two months after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
Surgical patients with mental health conditions who receive music therapy are more medically complex, study finds
A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that patients with mental health and/or substance use disorders who undergo surgery and receive music therapy are more medically complex ...
Scientists reveal how seven days of fasting transforms the human body
Scientists have discovered that the human body undergoes a dramatic internal transformation during extended fasting, with major changes appearing only after about three days without food. In a seven-day water-only fasting study, researchers tracked thousands of proteins in the blood and found widespread shifts affecting organs throughout the body — including the brain. While the body quickly switches from burning glucose to fat, the most intriguing biological changes linked to potential health benefits didn’t emerge until later in the fast.
Jackie Tohn Opens up About Her Health Scare With Breast Cancer
Jackie Tohn opens up to TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones about her recent health scare where she learned she has an 85 percent chance of developing breast cancer and her decision to undergo a double mastectomy. She also discusses the third season of "Nobody Wants This" and facing off against Macaulay Culkin on "Celebrity Jeopardy."
Soil science reimagined: from farmland to the final frontier
Soil science is undergoing a profound transformation, evolving from its traditional focus on agriculture to a multidimensional discipline addressing some of the most urgent challenges of our time. A new perspective calls for expanding the boundaries of soil science to include nontraditional domains—such as climate regulation, urban resilience, forensic investigations, cultural heritage protection, and extraterrestrial exploration. The study proposes a systems-based framework that recognizes so
Missouri star RB Ahmad Hardy shot at concert in Mississippi, in stable condition after undergoing surgery
Hardy rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns last season for the Tigers
WWE’s Chelsea Green Reveals New Health Update After Heart Procedure
Chelsea Green has shared another health update after recently undergoing a heart procedure. While she says progress has been made, she still deals with some physical discomfort as she continues her recovery. The WWE star recently had surgery for SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). Green previously revealed that her heart rate shot up to 228 beats per […] The post WWE’s Chelsea Green Reveals New Health Update After Heart Procedure appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Everything Dolly Parton Has Shared About Her Health Struggles
The country legend had to undergo a series of procedures to address health challenges.
Heart Failure Couldn’t Stop This Couple from Saying ‘I do’ in the ICU
Daniel Phan was in heart failure and days from undergoing lifesaving surgery when he and his girlfriend, Julia, decided to get married — in the ICU.
NYC hospitals gearing up for nightmarish World Cup diseases as fans descend on metro
Hospitals in New Jersey and New York, along with millions of their medical personnel, have been undergoing intense training for the past two years to deal with the 1.2 million people from around the...
Kid Captain: Rebecca Recalde
Rebecca Recalde developed severe childhood epilepsy at age 3, experiencing up to 80 seizures per day and undergoing two brain surgeries at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. Now 15, she relearned basic skills, returned to dance and other hobbies, excelled academically, and advocates for epilepsy awareness as a Kid Captain.
Cesar Chavez Boulevard signs removed impacting local businesses a second time
A corridor in southeast Fresno is undergoing another name change, impacting local businesses as the city removes and replaces hundreds of Cesar Chavez street signs.
Despite Its Claims, the Trump Administration Isn’t Helping Farmers at All
A group of Iowa soybean farmers who voted for the president are undergoing a very rude awakening.
Trump, ibogaine and the science behind the psychedelics boom in the U.S.
Tracing how psychedelics have undergone a revival in the U.S. and what the White House’s new psychedelic push means for research
Baptist Health to lay off 150 at Fort Smith campus amid restructuring
Baptist Health is laying off 150 employees at its Fort Smith campus as they undergo a strategic restructuring to cope with financial loss.
Political appointments surging, career SES workforce shrinking under Trump 2.0
The federal government has reached its highest level of political appointments in decades, while also undergoing a significant loss of career senior leadership — a combination that one organization warns will lead to poor outcomes across agencies.
Timberwolves' Donte DiVincenzo reportedly diagnosed with torn Achilles, Anthony Edwards undergoing testing on knee
Popular weight loss drug linked to key benefits for patients undergoing TAVR, PCI
Two separate studies explored the value of treating heart patients with tirzepatide.
U.S. scientists solve the mystery of a golden orb discovered in the deep sea. Here's what it really is
The enigmatic orb has undergone extensive examination and DNA testing, enabling scientists to reveal its true origins
NASA's 777 Aircraft Returns with Science Flights on Horizon
NASA’s Boeing 777 has returned to the agency’s fleet after undergoing heavy structural modifications as it transforms from a giant passenger plane into the
Essentia Health receives American Cancer Society transportation, lodging grant to support cancer patients
The Essentia Health Cancer Center in Fargo is honored to receive a $35,000 grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to help alleviate some of the financial burden for patients undergoing cancer treatment through transportation and lodging assistance.
Edwin Díaz to undergo elbow surgery, Dodgers expect second-half return
The sporting Tribune's Fredo Cervantes writes the latest on Edwin Díaz.
Dad brains: How fatherhood rewires the male mind
From before their babies are born, men undergo serious hormonal changes that can powerfully influence their behaviour – with consequences for their child's wellbeing.
NI health: Family 'skimped to get by' during toddler's cancer treatment
There is a bespoke fund to cover travel costs for families of children undergoing cancer treatment - but it only applies in England.
Why NASA’s Cheapest Missions Produce the Least Science
To say NASA has been undergoing some massive administrative changes lately is a huge understatement. One of the more concerning ones, according to a new paper at the 57th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference by Ari Koeppel and Casey Dreier of the Planetary Society, is the trend towards the Silicon Valley mindset of “move fast and break things” - which they argue doesn’t work very well when it comes to producing valuable science.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science Gems & Mineral Hall undergoing renovation
Study finds no link between medical gender reassignment and improved mental health among young people
An extensive register-based study conducted in Finland has found an increase in severe mental health problems among some adolescents and young adults who have undergone medical gender reassignment (GR). ...
Memorial Health Foundation fashion show raises over $142K
The Memorial Health Foundation 21st annual Fashion Show, this year with a Masquerade Ball theme, drew a large crowd and raised more than $142,000, with proceeds supporting local cancer patients and related health initiatives. The annual fundraiser supports the foundation’s cancer patient emergency fund and breast health initiatives, helping individuals undergoing treatment with expenses such […]
Memorial Health Foundation fashion show raises over $142K
The Memorial Health Foundation 21st annual Fashion Show, this year with a Masquerade Ball theme, drew a large crowd and raised more than $142,000, with proceeds supporting local cancer patients and related health initiatives. The annual fundraiser supports the foundation’s cancer patient emergency fund and breast health initiatives, helping individuals undergoing treatment with expenses such […]
Historic live-donor transplant at University Health saves 7 lives
Fourteen people made history at University Health this year, undergoing surgeries that saved seven lives.
Memorial Health Foundation fashion show raises over $142K
The Memorial Health Foundation 21st annual Fashion Show, this year with a Masquerade Ball theme, drew a large crowd and raised more than $142,000, with proceeds supporting local cancer patients and related health initiatives. The annual fundraiser supports the foundation’s cancer patient emergency fund and breast health initiatives, helping individuals undergoing treatment with expenses such […]
76ers star Joel Embiid to undergo surgery for appendicitis as Philadelphia fights for playoff positioning
The 76ers are fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament
City of Bryan provides health update on City Manager Andrew Nelson
The City of Bryan announced Thursday that City Manager Andrew Nelson is undergoing treatment for a mass found in his brain.
As Trump throws lifeline to coal plants, critics warn of higher costs and health risks
The United States is undergoing a dramatic shift in energy policy as President Donald Trump wields government's sweeping powers to benefit coal and suppress cleaner alternatives. It could lead to more expensive electricity and dirtier air.
iPod revival: Secondhand sales surge for Apple's digital musical player
The iPod is undergoing a revival, with secondhand sales surging. Young people in particular are drawn to its retro look and the focused music experience it offers, free from smartphone distractions.
Terry Crews' Wife, Rebecca, Reveals Parkinson's Diagnosis, Had New Treatment: EXCLUSIVE
She's sharing her diagnosis publicly for the first time after undergoing an exciting new treatment procedure.
Return to Sport Rates Following Total Knee Arthroplasty
A recent study shows that understanding timelines and key factors could help clinicians give tailored advice and set realistic expectations for their patients undergoing TKA.
Teresa Guidice's Full Face Transformation Is Wild To See
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice has undergone a significant face transformation over the years, and it's a little jarring to see.
Tarrytown spa undergoing repairs after SUV crashed into business
Repairs are underway at a Tarrytown spa after an SUV crashed into the business. The business hopes to reopen in early May.
Wave of retirements and politics promise spending panel makeover
The House Appropriations Committee is set to undergo a major shake-up following the midterm elections, especially among its Republicans. With four members retiring, two running for Senate and four others in potentially tight reelection contests, nearly a third of the committee’s Republicans may not return in the next Congress. Democrats are looking at a lower […]
Pokemon Home 4.0.0 update released, support for Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Pokemon Champions added
As previously announced, Pokemon Home has received a version 4.0.0 update. Users should be seeing the update roll out now on mobile and Nintendo Switch devices. Keep in mind that the app’s servers are currently undergoing maintenance, making the software unusable until 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET / 1 PM in the UK / 2 PM in Europe....
Green Room Theatre at F&M to undergo renovations, become James Lapine Theater
The Franklin & Marshall College stage that once held performances by famous alumni, from actor Roy Scheider of “Jaws” to the late Oscar-winning director Franklin Schaffner, will earn a new
There may be 10 times as many citizen scientists in Australia as we thought – and that’s great news for science
Citizens have contributed to science in Australia for many decades – and the field is now undergoing rapid growth
Liverpool urged to give more opportunities to young midfielder
Liverpool’s Next Midfield Evolution: Nyoni Emerging as Endo’s HeirLiverpool’s midfield has undergone a steady recalibration in recent seasons, but the next phase may already be unfolding in plai...
The geography of science
Scientific activity has historically been concentrated in a small number of advanced economies, but the global landscape of research is undergoing rapid transformation. Using data on 44 million publications from 1980 to 2022, this column examines how the geography of science has evolved along three dimensions: where research is produced, what topics it studies, and where it is consumed through citations. It documents a substantial shift in scientific production from traditional Western leaders s emerging economies. Yet scientific attention and knowledge diffusion remain uneven, revealing a tension between the global expansion of scientific capacity and the continued fragmentation of the knowledge system.
How Weight Training Helps Women Through Hormonal Changes
The hormonal changes women undergo throughout their lives can affect muscle and bone health. Menopause, for example, dramatically speeds bone loss, with
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.
Sebastian Kehl exits role as Borussia Dortmund sporting director
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl is leaving the team with immediate effect as the club undergoes a major shakeup after what will be a trophyless season.
Knoxville's Grand Entertainment Palace is more 'campus' than theater
Knoxville's Tennessee Theatre is undergoing a $24.6 million upgrade, creating a new 'campus' for arts and culture.
What to know about rotator cuff injuries as RFK Jr. undergoes shoulder surgery
Recovery can be painful and slow, but patients usually get better over time.
Local business owners share concerns as phase 2 of Penn Avenue project begins
Several blocks of Penn Avenue between Evaline Street and North Graham Street will undergo a major infrastructure makeover starting Monday.
Underdog Cuts Jobs While Pivoting to Prediction Markets
Underdog has undergone a significant round of layoffs, including cutting two-thirds of its fraud operations team.
New research links testosterone therapy with serious health risks after total knee replacement surgery
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in men and women has soared in recent years, with prescriptions rising from 7.3 million in 2019 to more than 11 million in 2024.1 Now, a large-scale study presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) points to serious health risks for testosterone users who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
Vikings Reportedly Considering Tagovailoa, Murray; Will Release Pair of Veterans
The Vikings appear set to undergo a roster overhaul that could see them bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.
Trump’s State of the Union, By the Numbers
A year into President Trump’s second term, the United States has undergone fundamental changes.
Detroit Lions' season-opening starter shares video of workout return
Detroit Lions starting cornerback Terrion Arnold shared a video of his return to workouts for the first time since undergoing surgery.
Dave & Buster’s, other new businesses coming to Valley View Mall
The Valley View Mall has undergone several changes in recent years, with new businesses opening and established stores closing. Documents now show plans to bring a Dave & Buster’s to the mall.
Kings' Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine undergo season-ending surgeries
Sabonis and LaVine will be out for the season as Sacramento shifts its full attention to the future
Conflict and instability make pregnancy more dangerous
This brief aligns the latest maternal mortality estimates with whether a country is conflict-affected or considered institutionally fragile. Nearly two-thirds of all maternal deaths worldwide occur in countries marked by conflict or fragility. The risk of a woman who lives in a country affected by conflict dying due to maternal causes is around five times higher for each pregnancy she undergoes compared to her peers in stable countries. In 2023 alone, an estimated 160,000 women died from preventable maternal causes in fragile and conflict-affected settings, that is 6 in 10 maternal deaths worldwide, despite these countries accounting for only around one in ten of global live births.
White House, RFK Jr. shake up health leadership after controversies
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health department is undergoing a major leadership overhaul.
Epstein Revelations Rock Norway’s Political Elite
The Nordic country is undergoing a reckoning after leading political figures were revealed to have ties to the sex offender.
Non-alcoholic wine: a booming business searching for quality
Bertrand Degat, vineyard manager for French zero-alcohol wine producer French Bloom, winces visibly when recalling some of the criticism and snobbery he has encountered from his contemporaries.As the broader French wine sector undergoes a crisis, with some producers ripping up vines to plant olives or abricots, French Bloom and other non-alcoholic winemakers are booming.
Yankees float encouraging Gerrit Cole possibility as team enters...
Gerrit Cole threw “a number” of bullpen sessions back home before arriving at camp, about 11 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Amid staffing changes, Sports Information shifts away from student writers
The College’s Athletic Department has undergone significant changes following the retirement of former Director of Sports Information, Dick Quinn, last spring. Quinn held the position since 1989, overseeing a team of student writers who documented the College’s athletic events. Since Quinn’s retirement, the athletic department has navigated a leadership transition while reassessing how athletic content...
Trump plans to close Kennedy Center for about two years
President Donald Trump said he plans to close the Kennedy Center for roughly two years for the facility to undergo construction.
Physicists push quantum boundaries by turning a superfluid into a supersolid — and back — for the first time
Physicists saw excitons, a type of quasiparticle, undergo a reversible phase transition from superfluid to supersolid for the first time, opening new doors for studying extreme states of matter.
New Politics Project – European Council on Foreign Relations
European politics is undergoing a long-term process of transformation. The mostly stable, big-tent party systems of past decades have given way to more fragment
When the Doctor Needs a Checkup
The physician workforce is aging fast, and some hospitals now require that older clinicians undergo testing for cognitive decline. Many have resisted.
Change is in the air for the Chicago Bears
The Bears have already undergone a few changes, and that’s before the flurry of free agency gets started.
Jérémie Boga undergoes medical at Juventus
Jérémie Boga undergoes medical at JuventusJérémie Boga arrived in Turin on Sunday morning to complete his medical at JMedical, ahead of officially signing with Juventus.The 29-year-old Ivorian att...
Politics: Bill restricting eminent domain undergoes changes in Iowa Senate
After similar legislation passed through the Iowa House of Representatives with relative ease last week, the Senate is considering a bill to distinctly limit the government’s authority to issue eminent
When the Doctor Needs a Checkup
The physician work force is aging fast, and some hospitals now require that older clinicians undergo testing for cognitive decline. Many have resisted.
Falcons hire Ian Cunningham; NBA, MLB Power Rankings; Top 25 NFL stories of 2025
Plus Buffalo's Josh Allen has his recovery timeline after undergoing foot surgery
Heavy cannabis use may not impact heart surgery outcomes
Cannabis use has been linked to multiple cardiovascular risks, but less is known about how it may impact patients who undergo major cardiac surgery.
Steelers Writer Identifies Veteran Defender As Potential Offseason Trade Candidate
The Steelers will undergo significant changes this upcoming season, as head coach Mike Tomlin won’t be on the sidelines. As of Friday, it’s still unclear who will take over as the new head coach in Pittsburgh, but whoever the Steelers hire may consider making roster moves. One player that could be on the move is […]
Australian summer is undergoing a 'total transformation,' scientists warn
Scientists say climate change made this summer's blistering heatwave five times more likely and cities need to adapt urgently.
The first commercial space station, Haven-1, is now undergoing assembly for launch
We have a very strong incentive to send a crew as quickly as we can safely do so."
Mickey Redmond on leave from Detroit Red Wings through February
Mickey Redmond, a mainstay of Detroit Red Wings telecasts, is scheduled to undergo surgery later this month and is set to return in late February.
Bo Nix Sustains Season-Ending Ankle Injury
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix reportedly sustained an ankle injury and is set to undergo season-ending injury.
Bo Nix will undergo season-ending ankle surgery, Sean Payton announces after Broncos' playoff win vs. Bills
Jarrett Stidham will start the AFC championship game for the Broncos.