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Trump expected to impose new tariffs on certain pharmaceutical drugs
President Donald Trump plans to impose new tariffs on pharmaceutical companies that have not struck deals to sell their drugs directly to consumers as part of his “Most Favored Nation” pricing initiative, according to a draft of an order obtained by CNN.
Virginia’s redistricting fight ramps up as opponents wield Barack Obama’s past comments
An argument over former President Barack Obama’s past comments about gerrymandering reflects the conundrum that worries some Democratic allies ahead of an April 21 referendum. Having promoted nonpartisan redistricting in the past, Obama, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and other top Democrats now have to motivate voters to turn out for a special election to impose a gerrymander.
ENTERTAINMENT: Hot Springs festival celebrates cherry blossoms
Samurai sword demonstrations by Yoshi Amao, whose presentations combine history, discipline and storytelling; drumming by Dallas Kiyari Daiko; and performances and demonstrations highlighting martial arts, traditional music and cultural storytelling are part of the Hot Springs National Park Sister City Foundation’s Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival.
Super Mario Bros. Speedrunner Lays Out Claims Of Sabotage
Speedrun.com suddenly banned his preferred input method after voting to allow it just four months prior
The New Ideas Conundrum in Health Policy
In a new column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman writes about the "conundrum of health policy ideas" facing Democrats searching for new proposals because of competing, and complex, priorities: rebuilding Medicaid and the ACA after trillion-dollar cuts, reconstructing federal health agencies, and tackling underlying health care costs, when candidates want simple ideas they can campaign on and voters want their costs to come down.
Exclusive-Worries over science, new addicts stymie US nicotine pouch fast-track scheme
LONDON/NEW YORK, April 1 (Reuters) - Popular nicotine pouch products have yet to be cleared for sale in the United States despite a fast-track Food and Drug Administration scheme, as agency scientists...
Exclusive: Worries over science, new addicts stymie US nicotine pouch fast-track scheme
Popular nicotine pouch products have yet to be cleared for sale in the United States despite a fast-track Food and Drug Administration scheme, as agency scientists hesitate to authorise them due to potential risks to new users, including children, three sources told Reuters.
Caroline County business owner among arrests in narcotics investigation
The owner of a pet supply store in Caroline County is facing multiple drug charges following a narcotics investigation that authorities say is part of a broader crackdown on methamphetamine in the …
How the Internet Became the ‘Cookbook’ of the Drug Trade
A baffling overdose death took investigators to the frontier of ultra-potent synthetic drugs. The clues were hauntingly familiar.
Donation-based Pound Fitness class in Moundsville raises awareness of women’s heart health
The beat of drumsticks and music filled Miller Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Moundsville on Monday evening as women took part in a donation-based “Pound F
Sacramento’s Sutter Health settles feds’ drug violations probe at two facilities
Investigators found hundreds of violations at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento and a surgical center in Fairfield.
Germany Eyes €60 Billion in Potential Healthcare Cost Cuts
Germany can impose more than €60 billion ($68.8 billion) in cost cuts in its healthcare system by 2030 with measures such as restricting doctors’ pay, reining in drug costs and shifting the financing for welfare recipients.
Scientists Discover How to Stop Vision Loss Before It Starts
Scientists have identified molecules that can protect the eye’s cone cells from degeneration, a major cause of vision loss. The discovery points to new drug targets—and even uncovers compounds that may be harmful.
Butterfat, Bots, and Bureaucrats: The Limits of Optimization
Across various fields, we constantly attempt to refine, control, and optimize complex systems. But whether it’s chatbots reshaping beliefs, cows engineered for more nutritious milk, drugs that suppress desire, or regulators chasing vanishingly small risks, each effort reveals the same tension: control involves tradeoffs. The issue isn’t whether optimization works—it’s what it costs and whether we notice it in time.
Pricing, politics and patients: the new drug affordability battle
The USA remains the outlier among wealthy drug markets. OECD data for 2023 put US retail pharmaceutical spending at $1,713 per person, against an OECD average of $766. Germany was at $1,158 and Switzerland at $1,061.
Watch Hua Medicine on Earnings, Business Expansion Plans
Chinese biotech firm Hua Medicine sees robust growth in 2026 after reporting a 93% jump in full-year revenue. Speaking exclusively to Bloomberg's "The China Show," Chief Strategy Officer George Lin discusses the outlook for the company’s flagship drug dorzagliatin and plans to expand to additional markets.
Makers of dietary supplements push the FDA to allow peptides and other new ingredients
Makers of dietary supplements are pushing the Food and Drug Administration to expand the types of ingredients they can put in their products.
The Guardian view on peptides: Robert F Kennedy Jr would leave public health policy to the hucksters
Editorial: The US health secretary says he is a big fan of peptides. Many are promising drugs, but the only way to know their utility is proper clinical trials
Psychedelic therapies are becoming mainstream. Deutsche Bank thinks this drug developer could triple
This biopharma play with two key drugs for treatment-resistant depression could see its stock rise by more than 230%, according to a Deutsche Bank analyst.
Scientists Figured Out How to Turn Plastic Waste Into a Parkinson's Drug
From pollutants to pharmaceuticals.
RFK Jr. makes food sound like a miracle drug, but researchers say he often overstates the science
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has claimed diet can "cure" schizophrenia and diabetes and allow people to rid themselves of bipolar disorder. Researchers say the comments overstate current evidence.
San Antonio eyes ‘City of Science’ future as bioscience sector looks to scale
San Antonio must boost bioscience marketing, investment and workforce to compete with biotech hubs like Dallas and Houston, leaders say.
The experimental drug transforming weight loss, retatrutide
Here’s how retatrutide works and how it differs from existing weight management medications.
Can We Ask Our Son to Go on Weight-Loss Drugs in Exchange for a House?
My husband wants to condition the gift on our son’s getting on a GLP-1 program. I feel that a gift is a gift and you should not extort a grown man.
Understanding protein motion could greatly aid new drug design
For many of us, “protein” is the key element of a food order. However, beyond your preferred choice of meats or plant-based alternatives, proteins encompass a large class of complex biomolecules whose chemical structure is encoded in our genes. Proteins have critical functions in living cells: They help repair and build body tissues, drive metabolic reactions, maintain pH and fluid balance, and keep our immune systems strong.
Alexis Bittar is an Entertainment Mogul Who Also Designs Jewelry
"I'm a dropout. I'm a drug addict dropout."
Byfield to keep knocking the door for black bosses
Walsall head coach Darren Byfield says he will keep "banging the drum" for there to be more black managers in football.
Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program sets new record
The Vanderbilt Transplant Center is now the second largest lung transplant center in the United States by volume, with 149 lung transplants in 2025, the most ever in one year at Vanderbilt Health. The Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program leads the nation in organ preservation and regeneration and is among the best in long-term outcomes, demonstrating the success of the interdisciplinary team in caring for these complex patients. Several features make the program unique in the United States, said Konrad Hoetzenecker, MD, PhD, professor of Thoracic Surgery and surgical director of the Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program. Vanderbilt serves as a “second opinion center” and accepts most complex candidates that are turned down by other centers due to increased perioperative risk. This includes patients over 70 years old, patients requiring combined procedures with their transplant, multiorgan transplantations and sensitized patients (individuals who have pre-formed anti-HLA antibodies who are at higher risk for complications). The expertise and excellent outcomes have attracted patients far beyond the borders of Tennessee; almost half of Vanderbilt Health’s lung transplant recipients come from out of state. “Another unique feature is our minimally invasive transplant program,” Hoetzenecker said. “By using distinct surgical instruments and techniques, the incisions can be kept as small as 7 to 8 centimeters, which results in better healing, less pain and faster recovery. “This minimally invasive approach is embedded in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, a multimodal, evidence-based perioperative care pathway designed to reduce surgical stress, minimize complications and speed up recovery. Our unique ERAS protocol, by a dedicated interdisciplinary approach, aims to improve recovery after lung transplant and reduce ICU and hospital stay.” The lung transplant program recently celebrated a milestone — 1,000 lung transplants since the program began in 1990. “This significant achievement reflects the concerted effort of a multidisciplinary collaboration by the Departments of Thoracic Surgery, Medicine, Anesthesiology and Critical Care,” said David Erasmus, MD, associate professor of Medicine and medical director of Vanderbilt Lung Transplant. Lung transplants have been attempted since the 1960s, but they were largely unsuccessful until the 1980s, when surgical techniques were refined and new antirejection drugs proved effective. Patient outcomes steadily improved from the 1990s to the present. Vanderbilt’s fourth lung transplant recipient in 1990, Pam Everett, is the longest-living, single-lung transplant known in the world, recently celebrating 35 years since her transplant. The Vanderbilt Lung Transplant surgical team is led by Hoetzenecker and Caitlin Demarest, MD, PhD, the surgical director and associate surgical director of the Vanderbilt Lung Transplant program. Erasmus is the medical director of Vanderbilt Lung Transplant along with Anil Trindade, MD, associate medical director and associate professor of Medicine.
Scientists discover why cancer drugs don’t work for everyone
Scientists have uncovered a hidden reason why cancer treatments don’t work equally well for everyone. Certain drugs can become trapped inside lysosomes within tumor cells, forming slow-release reservoirs that create uneven drug distribution. This means some cancer cells are heavily exposed while others are barely affected. Understanding this process could help doctors better tailor treatments and improve outcomes.
13 surprising ways GLP-1s may benefit the body, according to science
A condition-by-condition guide to GLP-1 drugs breaks down what’s proven, promising and still untested.
Where is money from Sonoma County’s voter-approved tax for mental health, drug addiction, homeless services going?
Sonoma County’s Measure O, which funds mental health, drug abuse and homeless services, generated $33 million in fiscal year 2024-25, according to latest annual report.
KY chief justice warns drug, mental health courts would be wiped out by budget proposals
Kentucky’s Administrative Office of the Courts said the two-year budget, as it is written now, would underfund its operations by $33 million.
How to Turn a Chicken Egg Into a Drug Factory
A biotech start-up is testing a novel way of efficiently producing pharmaceutical drugs.
Chairman Griffith Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Legislative Hearing on Policies Protecting Communities from Emerging Illicit Drug Threats
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
Mass. woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 30s told 'too young' for drug by insurance
A Massachusetts woman with early onset Alzheimer's fought her insurer over a denied treatment, raising questions about age limits and access to care.
Doctors worry about FDA scrutiny of RSV shots to protect babies
The antibody shots are about 80% effective at preventing babies from ending up in intensive care because of RSV. The drugmakers behind them maintain they're safe.
UT Health San Antonio launches clinical trial to study rapamycin and healthy aging - UT Health San Antonio
Contact: Eileen Teves, 210-450-7239, tevese@uthscsa.edu Content provided by Claire Kowalick SAN ANTONIO, March 25, 2026 – UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is launching a multi-phase clinical study to better understand how the drug rapamycin may promote healthy aging. Funded by the National […]
The brain's cleaning system can be boosted to rid Alzheimer's proteins
A duo of drugs that boosts our glympathic system, which clears waste from our brain, also improves the removal of proteins associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease
Pharma bribery corrupts health care, puts patients at risk, new review warns
Sham clinical studies, slush funds and shell companies: A new review shows how pharma firms allegedly bribed their way to drug approvals and sales.
Pulitzer winner 'Fairview' is a little cloudy in its L.A. premiere
Jackie Sibblies Drury's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "Fairview" receives its L.A. premiere at the Matrix in a Rogue Machine production directed by Oz Scott.
Paul George ready to be 'the focal guy' for shorthanded 76ers upon return from suspension
George apologized Tuesday for his failed drug test and how it affected his team's momentum
Julio Fuentes: Florida amends SB 1760 to protect access to lower-cost drugs
Lawmakers preserve competition to keep prescription drugs affordable for Floridians
76ers' Paul George blamed mental health for banned substance use
The Sixers' Paul George, who was suspended 25 games for a failed drug test, is set to return Wednesday when Philadelphia faces the Boston Celtics.
Treating addiction
Alcohol and drug addiction can cause many harms. This Research in Context feature looks at research into the causes of addiction and new ways to treat it.
Apnimed Announces Strategic Monetization of Shionogi-Apnimed Sleep Science (SASS) Joint Venture Stake for $150M and Royalties, Strengthening Focus on its Wholly-Owned OSA Program, AD109
/PRNewswire/ -- Apnimed, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing an oral drug product candidate, AD109, that is designed to address a root cause of...
Stopping GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic erodes heart health benefits quickly, new study finds
Stopping GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic quickly erodes heart protection, with two years off the medication raising cardiovascular risk by 22%, a new study finds.
Insulin pills may soon replace daily injections
For over a century, scientists have chased the dream of insulin pills, but the digestive system kept destroying the drug before it could work—forcing millions of patients to rely on daily injections. Now, researchers at Kumamoto University have developed a clever workaround using a tiny peptide that helps insulin slip through the intestinal wall.
Demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, and not just for weight loss
Use of blockbuster anti-obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound is growing, with about 1 in 8 adults in the U.S. saying they currently take the medications.
As demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, healthy habits are still key
Whether they’re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health.
Cencora to buy retina business of EyeSouth Partners for $1.1 billion
Drug distributor Cencora said on Monday it would buy the retina business of eye care network EyeSouth Partners for $1.1 billion, expanding its eye care unit.
A DNA test ruled him out. He was convicted of murder anyway.
Forensics has its share of high-profile problems. There’s phony “junk science,” like bogus bite-mark and blood spatter analyses that have sent innocent people to jail. And there’s the steady drumbeat of lab scandals, where analysts make up results. But there’s a subtler and more pervasive problem at work in many cases: lab analysts and lawyers who take perfectly legitimate science and twist it. Globe Opinion is exploring these distortions with a series we’re calling “Twisted Science.” And there may be no better place to start than with the case of Terrel Barros.
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.
The Cincinnati's Favorite Beer 2026 winner is ... (drumroll please)
Our new beer bracket champ had a difficult path to the crown. The final suds match was Vlad (Fretboard) vs. Dunkel (Hofbrauhaus). So, who won!?
Inside a rare lab that's blazing a bold trail as it hunts for new drugs
A scientist from Zambia who loves — LOVES! — chemistry runs a lab in South Africa that is being hailed for "extraordinary" work.
Inside a rare lab that's blazing a bold trail as it hunts for new drugs
A scientist from Zambia who loves — LOVES! — chemistry runs a lab in South Africa that is being hailed for "extraordinary" work.
Speedrunner Discovers Massive Glitch In Pokémon Switch Port
Swiss runner iamClemi accidentally hit the L button while choosing a starter, but something was off
Where to watch UConn vs. UTSA in March Madness First Round: Time, TV Channel
The No. 1 UConn Huskies face the 16 UTSA Roadrunners in the First Round of the women's NCAA Tournament. Here's how to see all the action.
Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tumor-hunting cancer killers
Scientists have engineered probiotic bacteria to act as tumor-seeking drug factories. In mice, these bacteria infiltrated tumors and produced a cancer-fighting drug right where it was needed. This targeted approach could make treatments more effective and reduce side effects. More research is needed before it can be tested in people.
The push to end animal testing is gaining steam, but technology can’t fill the gap yet
The FDA has released draft guidance that aims to clear up how drug developers can use alternative testing – but that doesn’t mean animal testing in the US is over.
CEO transition puts pharma business in the driver’s seat at Aptar
The company that turned the condiment world upside-down is now turning drug delivery on its nose at the same time it elevates its pharmaceutical leader to CEO.
Brandon Woodruff wraps up his spring training. What's next?
After Brandon Woodruff threw three innings, we await word on his next step
Health News: Headlines and Video on Healthcare, Drug Prices, Vaccines and More
Find the latest news on food & diet, healthcare and healthy living on NBCNews.com. Read headlines and watch videos on medicine, mental illness, and more.
A biotech turns to Apple Watch to study its Parkinson's drug
In this edition of STAT Health Tech: How Apple Watch is being used in a clinical trial for a Parkinson's drug, and more
RFK Jr. makes food sound like a miracle drug. Researchers say he often overstates the science
In the Trump administration’s campaign to promote healthy eating, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not stopped at his slogan urging people to “eat real food” to prevent disease. In recent speeches and…
RFK Jr. Makes Food Sound Like a Miracle Drug. Researchers Say He Often Overstates the Science
In the Trump administration’s campaign to promote healthy eating, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not stopped at his slogan urging people to “eat real food” to prevent disease. In recent speeches and podcast appearances, the nation’s health secretary also has claimed that diet can “cure” schizophrenia and ...
RFK Jr. Makes Food Sound Like a Miracle Drug. Researchers Say He Often Overstates the Science
In the Trump administration’s campaign to promote healthy eating, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not stopped at his slogan urging people to “eat real food” to prevent disease. In recent speeches and podcast appearances, the nation’s health secretary also has claimed that diet can “cure” schizophrenia and ...
Molecule in python blood could pave way for new obesity drugs, scientists say
Researchers find snake metabolite that suppresses appetite of obese mice ‘without some of side-effects’ of GLP-1 drugs
Opinion: The Barrier to ALS Precision Drugs Isn’t Science. It’s the ‘Valley of Death’
As Congress debates renewing the Act for ALS, it must prepare for the coming era of precision ALS medicine by prioritizing early-stage research to more quickly bring effective treatments to the market.
Ozempic Is About to Go Generic in India, China and Canada
In India, China and several other nations, Novo Nordisk is on the verge of losing patent protection for its blockbuster weight loss drug, opening the door for cheaper competing versions.
Ozempic Linked to Lower Risk of Plunging Mental Health in Study
Swedish people with depression and anxiety who took Novo Nordisk A/S’s blockbuster shots Ozempic and Wegovy were less likely to see their mental health get worse, the latest data to suggest that popular diabetes and obesity drugs could also have a broader impact on well-being.
Medicaid drug reimbursements could end for health care providers across Indiana
Health centers warn they could lose millions in rebates under the states proposed change, which would end Medicaid drug rebates for health organizations.
Health care advocates warn drug program change will erode safety net
The changes are being made to the 340B program.
Why quitting Ozempic and GLP-1s can be bad for your heart health
People who quit taking popular GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic might their jeopardize heart health, according to a new study.
Drug smoking can lead to severe burns, complicating harm reduction efforts
Smoking instead of injecting drugs can reduce harm, but a new study shows opioid smokers are four times as likely to suffer severe burns.
Holland & Knight Health Dose: March 17, 2026 | Insights
Sen. Ron Johnson (R‑Wis.) launched an investigation into recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) complete response letters for rare disease therapies.
White House digs in on ‘most-favored nation’ drug pricing despite Congress’ cool reception
Despite a cool reception from Congress, the White House is looking to intensify its pressure campaign on lawmakers to pass a “most-favored nation" drug pricing bill.
The scientist who warned that profit, not science, decides which drugs reach patients
In a Genomic Press Interview published in Brain Medicine, Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Therapeutics for Mental Health, and President-Elect of the Collegium Internationale of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), delivers a pointed warning: the greatest threat to drug discovery is not scientific failure but a financing system that abandons effective, affordable treatments whenever they cannot promise sufficient returns to investors. Across a career that began in central Italy and moved through Sardinia and Montreal, Dr. Gobbi has generated landmark research linking adolescent cannabis exposure to depression, identified novel melatonin receptor mechanisms in sleep and pain, and launched psychedelic neuroscience before it became fashionable. The interview reveals a scientist whose best questions have always begun at the bedside, and whose most urgent fears concern the structures that stand between discovery and patients.
Cannabis is not an effective treatment for common mental health conditions, says review
International researchers find ‘very little evidence’ medical form of the drug can treat anxiety, anorexia and other disorders
Live Whole Health #309: Natural pain relief
Experts recommend non-drug methods of managing low back pain as a first line of treatment, and yoga is on the list of safe and effective ways to manage pain.
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
A new drug could be the beginning of the end for sleeping sickness
The goal in the world of global health s to bring an end to this scourge by 2030. A new drug looks as if it could do the job.
Alabama star Aden Holloway arrested before NCAA Tournament on drug charge
What we know about the Crimson Tide's second-leading scorer and what happened
Large rapamycin clinical trial launches at UT Health San Antonio - UT Health San Antonio
A drug once known almost exclusively for preventing organ transplant rejection is now at the center of a National Institute on Aging-funded clinical study at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), to determine how rapamycin should be used in older adults to […]
Medicaid autism therapy boom triggers crackdown
Spending quadrupled over five years amid a proliferation of fraudulent billings.
USA vs. Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic: Starters, Lineups, How To Watch
Here's how to watch Team USA vs. Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic on Sunday on FOX.
GSK and Amgen to add medicines to TrumpRx, Fox Business reports
GSK and Amgen will add their medicines to TrumpRX, the prescription drug website launched by President Donald Trump's administration, Fox Business reported on Friday.
ASU AD: Basketball job drumming up head-coach candidates
ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said the men's basketball head-coaching vacancy is getting plenty of interest since moving on from Bobby Hurley.
Federal drug price reforms are working, finds study
Medicare beneficiaries skipping fewer medications due to cost.
Downtown Lancaster business owners complain drug recovery center clients driving away customers
When: Lancaster City Council meeting, March 10.
Scientists Discover Where Drug Residues End Up Inside Crops
Scientists discovered that crops exposed to trace pharmaceuticals in recycled water mostly stash the compounds in their leaves—not the parts we usually eat.
What Is the Most Addictive Drug? Science May Have Some Answers
When considering the drugs most likely to cause former addicts to repeatedly relapse, opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine stand out as the most dangerous.
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
Lilly finds impurity in compounded version of its weight-loss drug, warns of health risks
Compounded weight-loss drugs that contain vitamin B12 and the main ingredient in Eli Lilly's Zepbound could present health risks to consumers due to a previously unidentified impurity caused in the preparation, the U.S. drugmaker said in a public letter released on Thursday.
Federal officials walked back claims on leucovorin. Here’s what families should know now
The drug leucovorin was touted by the Trump administration in September as a potential treatment for thousands of children with autism. Now, some parents and guardians of children with autism say they feel abandoned by the US Food and Drug Administration’s new stance on leucovorin.
Scientists may have found a pill for sleep apnea
A European clinical trial found that the drug sulthiame significantly reduced breathing interruptions in people with moderate to severe sleep apnea. Patients taking higher doses experienced up to 47% fewer pauses in breathing and improved oxygen levels during sleep. The drug helps stabilize breathing signals in the brain, reducing airway collapse. Scientists say the findings could pave the way for a pill-based alternative to CPAP machines.
Republicans face a growing conundrum on the ‘SAVE America Act’
The GOP appears stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the legislation the party has dubbed the “SAVE America Act.”
Artiva Biotherapeutics Reports Full Year 2025 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights
Initial clinical response data for AlloNK® in refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) expected in first half of 2026 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) interaction to discuss potential pivotal trial design for AlloNK expected in first half of 2026 Strengthened board and executive leadership with deep immunology, commercial and financial expertise Robust balance sheet with cash, cash equivalents and investments of $108.0 million as of December 31, 2025, expected to fund operations into Q2 2027