SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " therapy " 579 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Science: A novel gene-therapy approach to ‘functionally cure’ HIV succeeds in some monkeys
Six animals suppressed AIDS virus after one shot of treatment that makes cell-receptor antibody
Red-light therapy does have health benefits but not the ones you think
Red-light therapy promises to treat everything from acne and hair loss to depression and chronic pain. Many of these claims are overhyped, but evidence suggests it can have healing powers
How science is taking tripping mainstream
President Trump recently signed an order to speed up the evaluation of psychedelics to treat the brain. That’s coming after decades of strict prohibition on psychedelic drug use dating back to President Nixon. So how did we go from that to a psychedelic renaissance? A look into a key institution in the world of psychedelic research may give us some clues. This episode, NPR’s brain correspondent Jon Hamilton shares insight from a recent trip. (No pun intended.) Want more psychedelic content? Catch our episode on ketamine therapy here, or learn why some scientists want to take the trip out of psychedelics here. Have other questions about psychedelics and the brain? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!
Zack Polanski falsely claimed to be British Red Cross spokesperson, charity says
Green party leader also accused of incorrectly stating he was a full member of the National Council of Hypnotherapy
Seton Hall and TCNJ Partner on Graduate Health Pathways
Seton Hall and TCNJ introduce streamlined pathways into graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy and athletic training.
Man destined to get Alzheimer’s saved by accidental heat therapy
Doug Whitney has a genetic mutation that means he should have developed Alzheimer’s disease decades ago, but his long-term work in hot engine rooms may have protected him in a similar way to sauna therapy
837 Health Sciences Graduates Poised to Deliver Care Across Tennessee
Anna Hicks remembers the moment physical therapy started to feel real. “It’s really interesting to learn about somebody else, and that is PT, in a way.”
Heart’s Ann Wilson talks new documentary, touring after chemotherapy
Ann Wilson holds a screening of her new documentary at the Neptune Theatre, where she'll be joined by director Barbara Hall for a live Q&A.
Mental Health
This week, we'll highlight mental health matters exploring unique resources for Texans with the help of policy advisors, music therapy experts and mental health professionals.
"This Is Fine" Dog Fights For Therapy In Official Metroidvania
In This Is Fine: Maximum Cope, help Question Hound overcome his anxieties in this nightmare-inspired video game debut
Health Ministry changes medical cannabis guidelines, passes responsibility to insurance funds
Cannabis may still be considered in severe cases, such as insomnia or acute distress, but only alongside proven treatments like psychotherapy and under close supervision.
UW Health hosts third annual Celebration of Life event
The event brings together stem cell transplant and cellular therapy survivors, family and friends.
Universal Health Services Adds Talkspace To Expand Virtual Behavioral Health Reach
Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) is acquiring virtual therapy provider Talkspace to build a virtual behavioral health platform. The transaction is aimed at supporting outpatient growth and extending UHS's reach beyond its traditional inpatient and facility based network. The company expects the deal to be accretive within 12 months and sees a multi year opportunity tied to digital care and operational efficiencies. For investors following NYSE:UHS, this move adds a digital layer to a...
How UTC’s Mocs Wellness Initiative is reshaping health on campus
On a weekday afternoon inside the Aquatic and Recreation Center, a group of UTC employees moves through a workout they didn’t design on their own. They’re not guessing at exercises. They’re not following a generic plan. And they’re not doing it alone. Instead, they’re working with a team.
Psychedelics offer exciting promise for mental health – if rolled out right
While the early data are impressive, making psychedelic therapy available at scale requires the government to ensure safety and efficacy the way we do for other medications.
How horse therapy can help mental health issues, complications of aging
For Catholic therapists, accompanying clients in pain guides mental health care
For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, NCR spoke with Catholic clinicians who emphasized accompaniment, careful discernment around spiritual language, and a commitment to seeing clients as whole persons.
Future Health Leaders Make Connections at SHS Career Networking Event
Hofstra University students didn’t just talk about their futures, they stepped into them. More than 30 employers representing fields such as athletic training, creative arts therapy, counseling, occupational therapy, speech-language-hearing, and physical therapy gathered at the Hofstra School of
First Louisiana patient to receive sickle cell gene therapy heads home after 6 weeks in hospital
Learn about the groundbreaking gene therapy for sickle cell disease at Manning Family Children's Hospital in Louisiana, providing hope for a "functional cure".
Cellular Rejuvenation Has the Potential to Reverse Aging
A new therapy has the potential to cure hundreds of diseases — and even reverse aging.
NC moves to rein in soaring autism therapy costs amid fraud concerns
Families say ABA has been life-changing. But a surge in Medicaid spending — and questions about who's collecting it — has drawn scrutiny.
Akron-Canton Airport now has therapy dogs
The Akron-Canton Airport now has therapy dogs roaming the terminal — making it the 100th U.S. airport with such a program.
It's not all Kegels. Here are four things to know before going to pelvic floor therapy.
How can pelvic floor physical therapy help address a variety of pelvic floor issues and improve quality of life? A Louisiana expert answers frequently asked questions.
Marshall Health Network enrolling patients in lung cancer clinical trial evaluating personalized immunotherapy approach
lungllulungHUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Edwards Cancer Institute at Marshall Health Network (MHN) is enrolling eligible patients in a clinical trial evaluating whether a personalized immunotherapy approach can enhance the effectiveness of treatment following lung cancer surgery. The study is investigating the use of an individualized therapy designed with a tumor’s unique biology from a surgical sample to help the immune system better […]
'A landmark moment for the field': FDA approves first-ever gene therapy for inherited deafness
A gene therapy made by Regeneron is the first treatment of its kind approved for genetic hearing loss.
Heating up for health: Researcher weighs in on the science behind saunas and hot tubs
Heat therapy is hot right now. Saunas are popping up in more backyards and fitness centers. And heat is part of the constant conversation around optimizing health and wellness. But the idea of leveraging ...
Heating up for health: Researcher weighs in on the science behind saunas and hot tubs
Heat therapy is hot right now. Saunas are popping up in more backyards and fitness centers. And heat is part of the constant conversation around optimizing health and wellness. But the idea of leveraging ...
Letter to the Editor: We can’t let politics obscure the promise or the peril of psychedelic therapy
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled, “ACCELERATING MEDICAL TREATMENTS FOR SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS,” intended to hasten access to psychedelic treatments. The signing was certainly a spectacle, as it often is, but so was the heterogenous group in attendance: President Trump was joined in the oval office by MMA-commentator, podcaster, and...
Mechanohealth: Where life science meets physical forces for health innovation
Integrating mechanobiological principles into disease pathogenesis, therapeutic development, and tissue engineering is reshaping our understanding of biological systems and accelerating the advancement of mechanotherapy and mechanohealth. This field reveals how mechanical cues regulate cellular behavior, such as force transmission along integrin-nucleus pathways and collective cell migration, and tissue functions. In doing so, mechanobiology connects fundamental research with clinical applications, from limiting cancer metastasis and fibrosis to promoting bone regeneration and maintaining vascular homeostasis. Building on discussion from the Inaugural International Conference on Mechanobiology (ICM) 2025, integrating mechanobiological research with clinical strategies offers new opportunities to address unmet needs, including personalized anti-fibrotic interventions or precision bone regenerative therapies. At the same time, it supports the broader concept of mechanohealth -- a paradigm focused on preserving the physiological mechanical balance within tissues.
Data Breaches Announced by Mindpath Health; Springfield Hospital; Lone Peak Psychiatry
Data breaches have been announced by the California psychiatry and therapy provider Mindpath Health, Springfield Hospital in Vermont, and Lone Peak Data breaches have been announced by the California psychiatry and therapy provider Mindpath Health, Springfield Hospital in Vermont, and Lone Peak Psychiatry in Utah.
Couple returns to Fairmont, brings business with
FAIRMONT— In the search for a slower pace and with a desire to help, Jill and Michael Boike have recently relocated to Fairmont, where Jill was born and raised, and they’ve brought their business, Therapy Connections, LLC, with. Jill and Michael met in Edina and have spent much of their life there, raising three daughters […]
NC hospital uses music for mental health therapy, support: 'It's peaceful'
Many patients in the program are being treated for stress, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder.
‘The Oscar of science’ awarded to scientists behind genetic treatment that restores lost vision win
Breakthrough prize in Life Sciences awarded to team who developed Luxturna therapy, which helped a patient see their child’s face for the first time
$3 million prize goes to duo whose research led to first sickle cell CRISPR therapy
Dr. Swee Lay Thein and Dr. Stuart Orkin won the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their work toward a functional cure for the deadly blood disorders sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.
$3 million prize goes to duo whose research led to first sickle cell CRISPR therapy
Dr. Swee Lay Thein and Dr. Stuart Orkin won the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their work toward a functional cure for the deadly blood disorders sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.
Experimental drug doubles one-year survival in pancreatic cancer
A new drug that works by making tumors more susceptible to chemotherapy and the immune system has increased survival in those with advanced pancreatic cancer in a trial.
Women can't get estrogen patches. Here's what the FDA is doing to help.
Estrogen patches, one of the most popular menopause treatments, have been in short supply this year. Now the FDA is working to fix it.
Nastassia Harrison ’28 blends art and science in pursuit of physical therapy through the help of her scholarships
Although she grew up playing nearly every sport in Warren County, North Carolina, Nastassia Harrison ’28 has loved dancing since she was three years old. “My dad would put me in any...
Scientists reverse brain aging, with a nasal spray
New therapy is turning back the clock in aging brains, healing inflammation, restoring memory and reshaping the future of brain age-related therapies.
UConn Health Offers New Level of Precision in Cancer Care
High-tech radiation therapy machine enhances accuracy, safety
'It's incredible, like science fiction': How a new wave of immunotherapy is eliminating cancers
After nearly 100 years of development, treatments that bolster the body's immune system to fight cancer are coming of age – and saving patient's lives.
Can red light therapy really deliver a beauty and health glow up? Here's the science
Wellness influencers tout the therapy's power for everything from rejuvenating skin and hair to boosting longevity. Devices sold for at-home use abound. We look at the evidence behind the hype.
Can red light therapy really deliver a beauty and health glow up? Here's the science
Wellness influencers tout the therapy's power for everything from rejuvenating skin and hair to boosting longevity. Devices sold for at-home use abound. We look at the evidence behind the hype.
Can red light therapy really deliver a beauty and health glow up? Here's the science
Wellness influencers tout the therapy's power for everything from rejuvenating skin and hair to boosting longevity. Devices sold for at-home use abound. We look at the evidence behind the hype.
Can AI Fix the Mental Health Crisis?
Demand is outpacing care. AI tools are already filling the gap. But are they safe, effective, and ready for clinical practice?
GSK sees blockbuster potential in targeted cancer therapy after promising early data
British drugmaker GSK's experimental targeted cancer drug Mo-rez has blockbuster potential, its head of oncology research has told reporters, after early data showed the drug helped shrink tumors in patients with advanced, hard-to-treat cancers.
Bucks County Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Inner Circle Physical Therapy & Myofascial Release Center
The Bucks County Community's Choice Awards nominations are open now! It's time to recognize your favorite local businesses.
Celebrating 25 Years of Caldwell University’s Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with Art Therapy Concentration
Caldwell, NJ – Caldwell University’s Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with Art Therapy Concentration program has been molding students into dynamic mental health professionals for 25 years. This […]
New gene therapy may help protect the hearts of patients with Friedreich's ataxia
A majority of deaths from Friedreich's ataxia are associated with heart complications. A new treatment years in the making could provide some much-needed relief.
UT Health San Antonio researchers report breakthrough findings significantly reducing symptoms for combat PTSD victims - UT Health San Antonio
Adding navigated TMS to psychotherapy can ‘greatly improve’ quality of life Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO, April 7, 2026 – An advanced version of a procedure using magnetic fields to stimulate brain nerve cells in treating depression was significantly effective for 85% of active military and veterans suffering from combat post-traumatic stress […]
Business in Brief: New Van Ness businesses; Intelsat auction canceled; Whale Tea rebrands; I’m Eddie Cano bankruptcy update | Forest Hills Connection | News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood
Some Forest Hills Connection reporting involves poking our heads through open doors. Doing so recently yielded the news that the last remaining vacant retail space at Park Van Ness (4455 Connecticut Avenue) has been leased to an IV hydration spa. A contractor getting the space ready told us Hydralive Therapy is moving in. Similarly, we […]
Graduate programs in health sciences and engineering rose in U.S. News & World Report rankings
Seven health sciences specialty programs cracked the top 10, including a No. 1 ranking for occupational therapy, and the Swanson School of Engineering ranks No. 24 for public universities.
Embedded mental health clinical interns quickly connect people to support
Counseling Service of Addison County’s embedded master’s-level clinical internship program connects people to services, offering support from a familiar face within a trusted agency. Interns gain close supervision and guidance from expert staff in an established Community Mental Health Agency.
Single-session therapy can help address gaps in mental health care
Can a single therapy session make a difference? Experts say yes, but only with the right mindset. Jessica Schleider is a Northwestern University psychology professor and founding director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health.
LeAnn Rimes’ emotional reaction to jaw release therapy sparks widespread buzz
Singer LeAnn Rimes goes viral for her emotional jaw release therapy session. Experts explain how stress and muscle tension impact health and TMJ symptoms.
Deafness reversed: One injection restores hearing in just weeks
A new gene therapy is giving people born deaf the chance to hear, often within just weeks. In a small but groundbreaking study, researchers delivered a working copy of a key hearing gene directly into the inner ear using a single injection. All ten patients, ranging from young children to adults, experienced improved hearing, with some showing rapid gains in just one month.
Targeting βiii-Tubulin and the roots of science: An interview with Richard F. Ludueña
Professor Emeritus Richard F. Ludueña discusses his novel theoretical framework for cancer chemotherapy, utilising CRISPR-Cas9
What is conversion therapy? What to know after Supreme Court decision
More than a dozen major mental health and medical organizations have renounced conversion therapy as ineffective and harmful.
Supreme Court rules against conversion therapy ban
Fact-checking Jay Bhattacharya, why PCOS might get a new name, and more health news from Morning Rounds
Deborah Glick: SCOTUS ruling on conversion therapy ban will harm LGBTQ+ kids
An 8-1 high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First Amendment.
Takeaways from the Supreme Court decision on Colorado law banning ‘conversion therapy’ for trans and gay minors
The Supreme Court on Tuesday endorsed a religious counselor’s challenge to Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” for gay and transgender minors, saying it likely violates the First Amendment, handing the LGBTQ community another setback in a decision that will reverberate in nearly half the country.
Supreme Court backs challenge to ‘conversion therapy’ ban
The Supreme Court endorsed a religious counselor’s challenge to Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” for gay and transgender minors, another legal setback for the LGBTQ community that will reverberate in nearly half the country. Follow for live updates.
Music therapy brightens chemo visits for 3-year-old at Corewell Health in Royal Oak
Three-year-old Carson Jamo, diagnosed with leukemia in June 2025, regularly visits Corewell Health in Royal Oak for chemotherapy, where music therapist Brandon Banas helps transform challenging appointments into positive experiences.
Support beyond the classroom: Little Rock’s community schools offer health care, therapy, a student bank and more
At first glance, Chicot Elementary is just like any other school. But walk past the bright hallways plastered with crayon drawings and "I can count to 100" worksheets and through a gym lined with balance bikes, and you'll find clinics that provide vaccines, lab work, eye tests, counseling and language interpretation for Little Rock School District students and their siblings.
Canadian Adults’ Functional Health Has Declined
Worsening emotional health and increased prevalence of pain are the main causes of the decline in Canadians’ functional health from 2015 to 2024, says Statistics Canada.
I tried HigherDose’s $1,400 PEMF mat to help me relax. I got weird dreams and disappointment
This pricey infrared therapy mat claims to help mood, sleep and muscle recovery. It felt more like a glorified heating pad
“Night and day”: Adventuring through childhood with newfound immune systems
This article discusses the significant impact of an accelerated FDA-approved gene therapy on children with severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I. Families share how their lives have transformed from chronic hospital visits to thriving, healthy lifestyles following the treatment at UCLA.
Opinion | ‘No Kings’: Politics as Bad Group Therapy
Participants in the rallies accomplish nothing practical but feel heard, validated and affirmed.
Does red-light therapy work? What the research says
People are buying helmets, face masks, vests and beds that emit long-wavelength light. Beneath the hype, there is some interesting biology.
Menopause hormone therapy treatments would be covered by health insurance under Ohio bill
Ohio Democratic lawmakers want menopause hormone therapy treatments covered by health insurance and Medicaid.
Biotech Company Tivic Health Aims to Advance Immunotherapy Research Programs
Tivic Health Systems is developing immune‑modulating therapies for conditions, such as radiation exposure, while expanding biologics development and manufacturing capabilities.
MDMA Therapy in Australia Shows Results for PTSD Patients, but the Cost Is Limiting Access
The country’s experiment with psychedelic medicine has led to positive outcomes, psychiatrists say, but also highlights the limitations of the nascent field.
Locally-based behavioral health group to open first Louisville office
The location will provide individual, couples and family therapy.
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.
Skin therapy business opening with celebration next month in the Poconos
The new location will offer customized skin rejuvenation treatments, including advanced exfoliation, LED light therapy, and modern facial technologies.
Skin therapy business opening with celebration next month in the Poconos
The new location will offer customized skin rejuvenation treatments, including advanced exfoliation, LED light therapy, and modern facial technologies.
Norfolk racing driver Will Macintrye feels in 'limbo' over health
Will Macintyre says following chemotherapy treatment his condition got worse.
Why people are turning to salt rooms and halotherapy to unwind
Salt rooms regenerate health skin cells and boost our breathing. Here's what to look for when finding a salt room experience.
SK pharmteco Reaffirms Three-Business-Unit Strategy, Strengthens Global Gene Therapy Business Unit with Funding Commitment
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SK pharmteco today announced a significant funding commitment to support strategic initiatives within its viral vector business, while reaffirming its long-term growth strategy across three business units: small molecule, peptides, and viral vectors. SK pharmteco is sharpening its strategy to provide pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners with the financial strength, technical rigor, and operational infrastructure needed for long-term
Thymic health and immunotherapy outcomes in patients with cancer
Nature - A deep-learning approach applied to routine CT scans is used to quantify the health of the thymus in a cohort of patients with cancer, and shows that thymic function is associated with...
Cue Biopharma Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results and Business Highlights
Advanced research and development of CUE-401 for IND (Investigational New Drug) readiness –CUE-401 is the Company’s lead asset for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseasesAppointed industry veteran Lucinda Warren as Chief Financial and Business OfficerRaised net proceeds of $10.2M through an underwritten public offeringAnnounced strategic collaboration and license agreement with ImmunoScape to develop breakthrough cell therapy approach for solid tumors – Entitled to receive upfront
Hay fever: The new wave of effective cures for seasonal allergies
Is it possible to train the body to resist seasonal allergies? That’s the hope promised by a new line of immunotherapy.
Medicaid autism therapy boom triggers crackdown
Spending quadrupled over five years amid a proliferation of fraudulent billings.
Can a groundbreaking cancer therapy help people with multiple sclerosis?
A handful of small, early-stage clinical trials are investigating whether CAR-T therapy can improve symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients.
Is stem cell therapy the next frontier to treat diabetes? Louisiana experts aren't convinced.
Personalized therapies for diabetes, while showing promise in international studies, is met with healthy skepticism from Louisiana experts. "Maybe in 20 years," a doctor at LSU Health says. Here's what to know now.
Clinical trial focuses on reducing fear and improving mental health outcomes in high-risk pregnancies
Study uses therapy and an immersive cesarean rehearsal to help high‑risk pregnant patients reduce fear and improve mental health outcomes.
Five Takeaways From the WSJ Investigation of the Autism Therapy Business
States paid autism-therapy providers $2.2 billion in 2023, helping make it the fastest-growing area of Medicaid spending—and entrepreneurs and investors saw an opportunity.
Century Therapeutics Reports Full Year 2025 Financial Results and Business Updates
CNTY-813, lead beta islet cell therapy program as a potential functional cure for type 1 diabetes, in Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies; IND submission expected in 4Q 2026 to support anticipated initial clinical data in 2H 2027CNTY-308, a CD19-targeted CAR-iT cell therapy engineered with Allo-Evasion™ 5.0, on track to enter the clinic in 2026Strengthened balance sheet and cash runway extended into 1Q 2029 from oversubscribed $135 million private placement in January 2026 PHILADELPH
Lake Erie College, BGSU announce Exercise Science graduate school partnership
The agreement creates formal pathways to BGSU's Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy graduate programs for Painesville students.
When to talk to AI chatbots about mental health—and when to stay far away, professionals say
Some Americans are using AI chatbots for therapy. Mental health experts share when it is, and isn't, safe to use those tools for emotional support.
How California Is Investing in School-Based Mental Health Services for Teens
Despite recent state investments in teen mental health, significant gaps still exist between the need for care and receipt of services. PPIC researchers discuss efforts to improve services, target funding, and meet teens where they are.
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
Homologous recombination deficiency and hemizygosity drive resistance in breast cancer
Nature - Germline and somatic interactions define actionable genomic patterns driving acquired therapy resistance in breast cancer.
Mental Health Startup Grow Therapy Hits $3 Billion Valuation
Sequoia Capital-backed mental health startup Grow Therapy has reached a $3 billion valuation with new funding.
Scientists find the genetic switch that makes pancreatic cancer resist chemotherapy
Scientists have identified a crucial molecular switch that decides whether pancreatic cancer cells resist chemotherapy or respond to it. The key player, a gene called GATA6, keeps tumours in a more structured and treatable form—but it gets shut down by an overactive KRAS-driven pathway. When researchers blocked that pathway, GATA6 levels rebounded and cancer cells became more sensitive to chemo. The discovery could help turn some of the toughest pancreatic tumours into ones doctors can better control.
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).
Scientists turn methane into medicine in stunning breakthrough
Scientists have unveiled a breakthrough way to turn natural gas—long burned as fuel—into valuable chemical building blocks for medicines and other high-demand products. By designing a clever iron-based catalyst powered by LED light, researchers managed to activate stubborn molecules like methane and transform them into complex compounds, even creating the hormone therapy drug dimestrol directly from methane for the first time.
Scientists Used ’Dancing Molecules‘ to Heal Lab-Grown Mini-Spines. One Day, They Could Cure Paralysis.
By fine tuning the motion of molecules, scientists created an injectable therapy that encouraged the growth of neurites and neurons in damaged spinal organoids.