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Driver crashes into Garner business
The Renew Day Spa is temporarily closed after a vehicle crashed into the business on Aversboro Road on Tuesday.
Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for March 25 #548
Here's today's Connections: Sports Edition answer and hints for groups. These clues will help you solve The New York Times' popular puzzle game, Connections: Sports Edition, every day.
If Trump Is Losing Voters, It’s for One Reason. Democrats Are Setting Themselves Up to Be Next.
The misguided tax rage among 2028 Democratic hopefuls.
Falcons introduce quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
Watch: Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa introduced in virtual press conference
Movies and TV shows casting across the US
Backstage compiled a list of movies and TV shows casting across the US.
Le Bris 'at his brilliant best' to mastermind derby win
Leading up to Sunday's derby at Newcastle, all the talk centred around which of our injured players might be available and it ended up becoming a bit of a distraction from what was actually important - the players who were definitely fit to play their part. While I'm sure Regis le Bris would have loved a fully fit squad, he is not daft enough to get too distracted by the possibilities of having several of his walking wounded involved at the last minute. It meant that while Newcastle were distracted by European football, we were on the training ground figuring out how we were going to walk away from St James' Park with three points.
‘Hard to say no’ – Jan Virgili talks possible Barcelona return
The winger has been linked with a summer return.
Newcastle-under-Lyme paramedic with an ice cream business
James Shemmeld is selling ice cream as a contrast to his day job.
Business owners distressed after Meta suspends Facebook accounts
They say they cannot understand the reason for the bans and have struggled to have them overturned.
“Redemption Arc Complete” — Sunderland AFC Have Returned!
There’s no need to quietly ghost around town anymore, trying to hide who we are. It feels as if we’ve tunnelled under the Berlin Wall and to freedom.We are Sunderland AFC. And we’re back.
Dodgers Cap Off Spring Training with Strong Shohei Ohtani Start
DeForest Yards developer looks to add a hotel to mixed-use housing and entertainment district
Developers for an upcoming mixed-use housing and entertainment district in DeForest are looking to add a hotel to their plans.
Hubert Davis out as UNC coach after five years, ushering in historic break from Carolina family tradition
A stunning NCAA Tournament collapse, eroding donor support and mounting internal pressure culminated in North Carolina cutting ties, a move that breaks the program's 70-year coaching lineage
Belton approves development plan for Uptown Entertainment District, completion expected in 2032
The city of Belton approved a rezoning application and preliminary development plan for the Uptown Entertainment District, expected to bring 600 new homes and residents.
Teleportation is no longer just science fiction—at the quantum level
We may never beam ourselves off the planet. But quantum teleportation is poised to bring about a new era of computing—and revolutionize our understanding of the subatomic world.
Daytona Beach businesses push back against proposed spring break ban
Daytona Beach businesses suffer major loss in revenue after spring break ban due to pop-up event.
Braves showcase new food and entertainment at Truist Park ahead of season opener
The Atlanta Braves showcased LED lights, a World Series dirt display and a colossal burger ahead of Friday's season opener.
Braves showcase new food and entertainment at Truist Park ahead of season opener
The Atlanta Braves showcased LED lights, a World Series dirt display and a colossal burger ahead of Friday's season opener.
Braves showcase new food and entertainment at Truist Park ahead of season opener
The Atlanta Braves showcased LED lights, a World Series dirt display and a colossal burger ahead of Friday's season opener.
Florida company suspended over ‘threat’ to public health and welfare
The company handled claims for Medicare Advantage patients, many of whom have chronic or special needs.
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
In the closing of the recent trading day, AMC Entertainment (AMC) stood at $1, denoting a -2.36% move from the preceding trading day.
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
UMaine sports management students enjoy networking trip to Indiana
Westfield’s Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus, more Indianapolis-based experiences
Hochul reiterates legislative proposals on ghost gun crackdown
Those include requiring all 3D printers sold in New York state have technology stopping it from creating anything related to ghost gun parts.
Hornets eyeing entertainment district around Spectrum Center
That new headquarters and practice facility is supposed to be open by early 2027.
“SNL” alum calls out cast members who break into laughter during sketches: 'It doesn't work'
Kevin Nealon doesn't seem to be a fan of the recent Ryan Gosling episode.
Jennifer Lopez Gets Down to Business in a Pencil Skirt
Whether or not you’re personally on board with the look, Jennifer Lopez will always be a ride-or-die pencil skirt fan.
OPB Science Reporter/Producer Jes Burns wins 2026 Gracie Award
OPB science reporter and producer Jes Burns wins 2026 Gracie Award
Stevens Point to host open house about Business 51 reconstruction project
The city of Stevens Point will present the final design for the upcoming Business 51 reconstruction project at an open house next week.
Kent Alterman & Sarah Babineau’s Good Walk Entertainment Inks First-Look Deal With Sony Pictures Television
EXCLUSIVE: Good Walk Entertainment, the production company founded by former top Comedy Central executives Kent Alterman and Sarah Babineau, has signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television....
Lowndes County leaders cut ribbon on medical, mental health jail expansion
The new facility includes 60 cells with a total of 90 beds, according to the county.
Jacobs Entertainment begins construction on downtown sports fields
Jacobs Entertainment has begun building the flat fields that will make up their youth sports initiative.
Jacobs Entertainment begins construction on downtown sports fields
Jacobs Entertainment has begun building the flat fields that will make up their youth sports initiative.
Lawmakers weighed Wyoming Health Department budget cuts. They never came.
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile After the Wyoming Freedom Caucus told voters last year it aimed to “DOGE” the state’s next two-year budget by
G7 Entertainment Marketing Launches Wild by G7 to Help Destinations Turn Culture Into Travel Demand
G7 Entertainment Marketing Launches Wild by G7 to Help Destinations Turn Culture Into Travel Demand...
Pound loses footing, business activity growth slows on Iran war hit
The British pound fell against the dollar on Tuesday, reversing some of its rise from the day before, as the Middle East war continues to hold sway over markets and as signs emerged that the conflict was starting to affect Britain's economy.
Josh Shapiro endorses James Malone in key Lancaster County Senate race
Gov. Josh Shapiro has officially endorsed James Malone’s bid for reelection in the Lancaster County state Senate district that both parties say could determine party control next year.
Newsom Talks Trump, 2028 — and Where He Draws the Line on Israel
The California governor opens up about family, risk and the choices that could shape his political future.
As winters warm, Minnesotans grapple with climate grief
Winters in Minnesota are warming faster than any other season. That’s jeopardizing seasonal traditions in the state — and mental health experts say that takes a toll on mental health.
Las Vegas talent agency grows as city’s entertainment market expands
As the city continues to grow, more opportunities are coming up for local models and actors.
Las Vegas talent agency grows as city’s entertainment market expands
As the city continues to grow, more opportunities are coming up for local models and actors.
Las Vegas talent agency grows as city’s entertainment market expands
As the city continues to grow, more opportunities are coming up for local models and actors.
On the road with antiprotons: CERN runs delicate test on transporting ultrasensitive antimatter
Scientists at CERN plan to take some antiprotons out for a spin in a never-tried-before test drive.
Video: Senate Confirms Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security Secretary
The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin to take over the Homeland Security Department in a 54-to-45 vote on Monday.
Businesses in the mountains trading ski rentals for bike rentals during warm spring
Victorian business fined for telling influencers to lie about paid Instagram post in first of its kind penalty
Watchdog also fines PhotobookShop for editing a paid review from an influencer who had described process as ‘fiddly’
Standout safety reclassifies to 2027, recruitment picking up
One of the top safeties in the 2028 class has opted to reclassify to the 2027 class with his recruitment picking up steam.
Trump’s New Political Tool: ICE
President Trump has increasingly used Immigration and Customs Enforcement to push personal and political objectives, and on Monday sent agents to airports across the country to help deal with long security lines.
Mullin’s Smooth Confirmation Was a Throwback in the Senate
In choosing Senator Markwayne Mullin, who has warm relationships across the Capitol and the political aisle, President Trump was reverting to a bygone tradition.
Struggling LA businesses face more concerns because of surging gas prices
How Pixar Got the Science Right in Hoppers
Meet the researcher who informed the writers about beaver behavior and threats to their habitat
Trump Delays Threat to Iran, but War Negotiations Are in Early Stage
President Trump postponed his threat to strike power plants in Iran, citing “productive conversations” with the Iranians. But officials said the talks were in an early stage and not substantive.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
‘Don’t Make Any Deal’: Trump Tells Republicans to Hold Firm on Shutdown Talks
The president is using the standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security as leverage to pass a strict voter ID bill. Critics say the bill would place an undue burden on eligible voters.
Anthropic's Claude Can Now Control Your Computer
The developer is boosting Claude's agentic capabilities in an apparent effort to compete with platforms like OpenClaw.
Opinion | We Can’t Let Crypto and A.I. Buy the Policies They Want
We can’t let crypto and A.I. buy the policies they want.
Ruth’s Chris enforces business casual dress code at restaurants
The ‘Nightcap’ panel discusses Ruth’s Chris’ enforcement of a business casual dress code and the viral reaction on social media on 'Fox News @ Night.'
Kraken create One Roof Sports & Entertainment in expected pursuit of NBA expansion team
Kraken owner Samanatha Holloway created the umbrella brand One Roof Sports & Entertainment on Monday, a transaction that gives her a majority stake in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and is a likely precursor to a bid for an NBA expansion franchise.
Kraken create One Roof Sports & Entertainment in expected pursuit of NBA expansion team
Kraken owner Samanatha Holloway created the umbrella brand One Roof Sports & Entertainment on Monday, a transaction that gives her a majority stake in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and is a likely precursor to a bid for an NBA expansion franchise.
Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus Review - Intel's Fastest Gaming CPU
The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a game-changer, featuring more cores and larger cache than the 265K, while cutting the launch price to just $300. In gaming, it outperformed all non-X3D Ryzen CPUs, and application performance is impressive as well, matching the much pricier Ryzen 9 9950X.
Californians may need to mail ballots early as Supreme Court signals support for new election day deadline
California counts mail-in ballots that arrive up to seven days after election day, but that option may be deemed illegal
Voice of America Journalists Sue, Saying Trump Officials Interfered in Coverage
The journalists said in the complaint that the administration was trying to force them to be a “mouthpiece” and that one official demanded “loyalty” if reporters wanted to “keep their jobs.”
Ewing to announce entertainment for Omaha’s Memorial Park concert
The event is happening on Friday, June 26.
Ewing to announce entertainment for Omaha’s Memorial Park concert
The event is happening on Friday, June 26.
Pop superstar announces summer concert tour, including stop in central Pa.
"The Freedom Tour" will make a stop in Hershey this August.
2026 MLB standings predictions: Expert picks for every division, full projections as baseball season begins
Here are the predictions from our CBS Sports MLB staff for the 2026 season
Kyler Murray Vikings Era Begins
Why Kyler Murray's stats say he could be Darnold 2.0 — plus free agency, the draft, and Harrison Smith's future.
How AI is transforming health care and what it means for the future
The week ahead: Another big (and tough) week for Penguins
Looking at what the Pittsburgh Penguins need to do to secure their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
Health in a Handbasket: Chips & Dip
Today we're putting a healthy spin on a snack we all know and love.
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
Zacks.com users have recently been watching AMC Entertainment (AMC) quite a bit. Thus, it is worth knowing the facts that could determine the stock's prospects.
Cowboys mock draft tracker: A trade might make sense early
How interested are you in trading back in the first round?
Cycling, crystals and cutting-edge science: the secrets of Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell’s success
The training duo who oversaw famous medal success in Torun believe the best is yet to come for their athletes
Trump to Maria Bartiromo: Iran wants to make a deal badly, could be within 5 days or sooner
Maria Bartiromo reports that President Donald Trump says Iran ‘wants to make a deal badly’ as he orders a five-day pause on planned strikes against key infrastructure, signaling ongoing high-level talks and triggering a sharp market rebound.
Register for 25Live trainings at Health Sciences Center
The Facilities Planning and Scheduling team will provide a 25Live training session from 2-3 p.m. April 8 at the Health Sciences Center, Room 2912.
How Healthy Are Meat Sticks and Jerky as Protein Sources?
These convenient snacks are rich in protein and low in calories, but they are considered processed meats. Here's how often you should eat them.
Trump whistleblower Alex Vindman: ‘Sitting on the sidelines was not an option’
Democratic Senate hopeful says experience of being key witness in Trump’s first impeachment makes him right choice for Florida
PATLABOR the Case Files announced for PS5, PC
Publisher Good Smile Company and developer Chime Corporation have announced 3D action game PATLABOR the Case Files
Country music has a new supergroup: Meet the Cowgays
The group just released its first song.
Ohio lawmaker proposes election board changes after Delaware County dispute
Dispute at the Delaware County Board of Elections prompted a state lawmaker to propose changes to how county election boards work.
How HB2's legacy reshaped N.C. and modern culture fights
It's been a decade since the divisive "bathroom bill" was signed into law.
'A towering figure in French politics': reactions to Lionel Jospin's death pour in
Lionel Jospin, Socialist prime minister of France from 1997 to 2002, has died.
Coeur d'Alene's science guy
Ahead of his retirement in May from the teaching staff at Arizona State University, behavioral neuroscientist Brian Smith has put his focus into making science more accessible to more people. “There's a lot of misunderstanding what science is,” Smith said.
‘Anyone but Labour’ or ‘anyone but Reform’? Clash of animosities likely to define May local elections
While Labour braces for a rout that could see off Starmer, a rising drive to keep out Farage is complicating expectations
Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for March 23 #546
Here's today's Connections: Sports Edition answer and hints for groups. These clues will help you solve The New York Times' popular puzzle game, Connections: Sports Edition, every day.
Cleanup underway after pick-up truck crashed into science surplus store in Geneva
How Obama’s Strategist Discouraged Biden From Running in 2016
In a new set of oral histories, David Plouffe, President Barack Obama’s political adviser, described how he urged Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. not to challenge Hillary Clinton for the nomination.
Dean for Basic Science Colin Duckett tapped to serve as Boston University Provost
Duckett, executive vice dean for basic and preclinical science, will begin his tenure as chief academic officer at Boston University starting in July.
State lawmakers debate new round of business tax cuts
Rep. Joe Sweeney, R-Salem, and Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, discussed their support and opposition to House Bill 155, which would reduce the business enterprise tax from 0.55% to 0.50%.
Students Learn the Science of Tree Felling at Treehaven
Click here to view this video from wjfw.com.
One dead after shooting at Last Call Sports Bar in Jackson
One person is dead after a shooting at Last Call Sports Bar early Sunday morning.
The 3DFX Voodoo Lives Again In An FPGA
The 3DFX Voodoo was not the first dedicated 3D graphics chipset by any means, but it became the favourite for gamers among the early mass-market GPUs. It would be found on a 3D-processing-only PCI …
Ralph the dog's impact on science and his family
Dino Fest at the Buffalo Museum of Science
UFL team signs former Alabama high school, Crimson Tide QB
The Thompson High School alumnus had been scheduled to play in the Indoor Football League on Sunday.
Would you fart for science? Slap you with Science 3-22-2026
Crimson Desert developer apologizes and promises to replace AI-generated art
Pearl Abyss announced a comprehensive audit of its in-game assets and will replace any AI-generated content.
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.