Mercury Pharmaceuticals

26

Aug 2026

Nicoya is a famous blue zone. DNA aging estimates tell a more complicated story

Researchers developed a SuperLearner framework that combines established epigenetic clocks with machine learning to compare DNA methylation-based aging in residents of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Blue Zone with other Costa Ricans. Initial calibration suggested a modest younger epigenetic age among Nicoyans, but accounting more closely for age distribution substantially reduced the apparent advantage, highlighting the importance of population-specific calibration in longevity research.

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26

Aug 2026

GLP-1 drugs may reshape obesity care, but clinicians still have questions

Interviews with 11 healthcare professionals in a UK specialist weight management service found generally positive attitudes toward injectable GLP-1 drugs, alongside limited formal training and uncertainty about how the medications should be integrated with behavioral care. Participants anticipated potential benefits for confidence and weight management but also raised concerns about treatment discontinuation, behavioral engagement, and evolving professional responsibilities.

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26

Aug 2026

Sewage monitoring may provide earlier warning of pertussis outbreaks

Pertussis, or whooping cough, continues to cause periodic outbreaks worldwide and can be especially dangerous for infants who have not completed vaccination.

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26

Aug 2026

Vagus nerve stimulation may enhance long-term motor learning

Do you ever feel like sometimes you can master a new dance step almost immediately, while other times you struggle to nail it despite repeated practice? This might be due to skill or effort, but also to something less obvious: whether the brain is in a state that allows learning to take hold.

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25

Aug 2026

Nicotine e-cigarettes help more smokers quit than conventional methods

Nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective in helping people quit smoking than many conventional methods such as nicotine gums and patches and quitting with behavioural support or no support at all, an updated Cochrane review finds.

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25

Aug 2026

Why living to 100 may depend on far more than diet and exercise

A critical narrative review found that healthy diets, regular physical activity, strong social ties, and psychological well-being can support healthier aging and reduce premature mortality, but none has been shown to reliably determine who reaches 100. The authors argue that exceptional longevity arises from complex interactions among biological resilience, genetics, social and environmental conditions, lifelong exposures, and chance rather than any universal lifestyle formula.

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25

Aug 2026

Sugar tax could prevent millions of cases of tooth decay in Australia

Millions of cases of tooth decay could be prevented if Australia introduced a 20 per cent tax on sugar, new Griffith University research has found.

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25

Aug 2026

Protecting the thymus may improve lung cancer treatment outcomes

Building on recent discoveries about the adult thymus, Mass General Brigham investigators used artificial intelligence to show that incidental radiation exposure to the thymus may influence outcomes in patients with lung cancer.

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25

Aug 2026

New artificial lung mimics breathing and alveolar movement

Almost everyone has blown a soap bubble through a straw at least once. Inspired by this thin soap bubble film, an "artificial lung that breathes" like a real lung has been developed.

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25

Aug 2026

FDA endorses alpha-synuclein biomarker for Parkinson’s clinical trials

Critical Path Institute® (C-Path) today announced the publication of "Regulatory endorsement for the application of alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay (αSyn-SAA) as a susceptibility and risk biomarker for clinical trials targeting synucleinopathies" in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, marking a significant milestone for its Critical Path for Parkinson's consortium.

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