Tag: Appetite and ingestive regulation

Posted on

The Download: the state of AI, and protecting bears with drones

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Want to understand the current state of AI? Check out these charts. 

If you’re following AI news, you’re probably getting whiplash. AI is a gold rush. AI is a bubble. AI is taking your job. AI can’t even read a clock. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index—the field’s annual report card—cuts through the noise.  

The data reveals a technology evolving faster than we can manage. From the China-US rivalry and model breakthroughs to public sentiment and the impact on jobs, here are the index’s key findings on the state of AI today. 

—Michelle Kim 

Why opinion on AI is so divided 

Stanford’s 2026 AI Index is full of striking stats. It also reveals a field riddled with inconsistencies, most notably in the gap between experts and non-experts.  

On jobs, 73% of US experts view AI’s impact positively, compared to just 23% of the public. Similar divides emerged on the economy and healthcare. What’s driving this disconnect? 

Part of the answer may lie in their diverging experiences. Those using AI for coding and technical work see it at its best, while everyone else gets a more mixed bag. The result is two very different realities. Read the full story on what they are—and why they matter. 

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. 

—Will Douglas Heaven 

Job titles of the future: Wildlife first responder 

Grizzly bears have made such a comeback across eastern Montana that in 2017, the state hired its first-ever prairie-based grizzly manager: wildlife biologist Wesley Sarmento.  

For seven years, Sarmento worked to keep both bears and humans out of trouble. He acted like a first responder, trying to defuse potentially dangerous situations. He even got caught in some himself, which led him to a new wildlife safety tool: drones. Find out the results of his experiments in digital ecology. 
 
 —Emily Senkosky 

This article is from the next issue of our print magazine, which is all about nature. Subscribe now to read it when it lands on Wednesday, April 22.  

The must-reads 

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 

1 Human scientists still trounce the top AI agents at complex tasks  
The best agents perform only half as well as experts with PhDs. (Nature) 
+ Can AI really help us discover new materials? (MIT Technology Review) 
 
2 OpenAI is escalating its fight with Anthropic while pulling away from Microsoft 
A leaked memo exposes plans to attack Anthropic. (Axios) 
+ And says Microsoft “limited our ability” to reach clients. (The Information $) 
+ While touting a budding alliance with Amazon. (CNBC) 

3 Carbon removal technology is stalling—and that may be good news 
Better solutions could now emerge. (New Scientist) 
+ Here are three that are set to break through. (MIT Technology Review) 
 
4 AI is finding bugs faster than we can fix them—and hackers will benefit 
Welcome to the bug armageddon. (WSJ $)  
+ AI may soon be capable of fully automated attacks. (MIT Technology Review) 
 
5 A Texas man has been charged with the attempted murder of Sam Altman 
He allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the OpenAI CEO’s home last Friday. (NPR) 
+ The suspect reportedly had a list of other AI leaders. (NYT $) 
 
6 AI is beginning to transform mathematics 
It’s proving new results at a rapid pace. (Quanta) 
+ One AI startup plans to unearth new mathematical patterns. (MIT Technology Review) 
 
7 Students are turning away from computer science 
It’s had a massive drop in enrollments. (WP $) 
+ AI coding tools have diminished the degree’s value. (NYT $)  
 
8 India’s bid to become a data center hub is sparking a fierce backlash 
Farmers are protesting Delhi’s courtship of hyperscalers. (Rest of World) 
 
9 Meta is set to overtake Google in advertising revenue this year 
And become the world’s largest digital ad platform for the first time. (WSJ) 
 
10 AI influencers are taking over Coachella  
Synthetic content creators are “everywhere” at the festival. (The Verge) 

Quote of the day 

“These people are almost nothing like you. They are most likely sociopathic/psychopathic and, in the case of Altman, consistently reported to be a pathological liar.” 

—The alleged firebomber of Sam Altman’s home shares his distrust of AI leaders in a blog post. 

One More Thing 

We’ve never understood how hunger works. That might be about to change. 

A few years ago, Brad Lowell, a Harvard University neuro­scientist, figured out how to crank the food drive to the maximum. He did it by stimulating neurons in mice. Now, he’s following known parts of the neural hunger circuits into uncharted parts of the brain. 

The work could have important implications for public health. More than 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and more than 650 million are obese. Understanding the circuits involved could shed new light on why these numbers are skyrocketing. 

Read the full story. 

—Adam Piore 

We can still have nice things 

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.) 

Top image credit: Stephanie Arnett/MIT Technology Review | Getty Images 

+ Someone built a mechanical version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater from Lego. 
+ Enjoy this wholesome clip of toddlers discovering the existence of hugs. 
+ This interactive body map shows exactly which exercises you need. 
+ Jon McCormack’s photos of nature’s patterns are breathtaking. 

Posted on

The associations of systemic inflammation and insulin resistance-related indicators with psychopathology and BDNF in patients with chronic schizophrenia

BackgroundThe triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and C-reactive protein-triglyceride-glucose index (CTI) are innovative indicators for assessing insulin resistance (IR) and inflammation, yet research on them in patients with schizophrenia remains limited. This study aimed to explore TyG index and CTI levels and their associations with psychopathology and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with chronic schizophrenia (CS).MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted across one general hospital and two psychiatric hospitals in Anhui Province, China. Socio-demographic information and hematological parameters were collected from participants, and their psychiatric and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), respectively.ResultsA total of 324 patients with CS and 150 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the study. Compared with HCs, patients had higher TyG index and CTI levels (all P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that among patients, a high TyG index level was significantly associated with higher BDNF levels and lower negative factor scores of the PANSS, while a high CTI level was significantly associated with higher depression-hopelessness factor scores of the CDSS and lower negative factor scores of the PANSS (all P < 0.05).ConclusionPatients with CS had higher levels of TyG index and CTI, which were significantly associated with the severity of negative and depressive symptoms, as well as BDNF levels. It is suggested that the integration of the TyG index and CTI into clinical monitoring for patients with CS is necessary.
Posted on

Health Issues Linked to Obesity Differ Between Men and Women

A study of middle-aged adults carried out by researchers at Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey shows that health and metabolic profiles differ between men and women with obesity.

The results, which will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul in May, show men with obesity are more likely to develop abdominal fat and have high levels of liver enzymes and triglycerides in the blood than women.

In contrast, women with obesity had higher levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein compared with men.

“Our findings reveal intriguing differences in the way men and women respond to obesity,” said presenting author Zeynep Pekel, from Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey, in a press statement.

“They show just how important gender-specific research is. Not only are sex differences a powerful player in the pathology and course of obesity, but our results indicate that such differences could be a stepping stone toward finding targeted, sex-based therapies to help in the management of people living with obesity.”

Although it is known that men and women with obesity have different adipose tissue distribution and have differences in metabolism more generally, this knowledge is not widely applied in obesity care.

In this study, Pekel and colleagues carried out an analysis of 1134 adults living with obesity attending a tertiary obesity clinic, including 886 women and 248 men. They measured standard factors like age, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference and blood pressure as well as blood-based biomarkers like lipids, liver enzymes and inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and white blood cell count.

The results showed that women were slightly older at 45 years on average. Men had significantly greater waist circumference and systolic blood pressure than women, as well as higher levels of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase and gamma‑glutamyl transferase and the kidney health biomarker creatinine. Men also had higher levels of triglycerides than women in the study.

Women with obesity had significantly higher total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than men in the study. They also had greater erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and platelet count, than the men.

“It’s still early days and these findings need to be confirmed in other patient groups, but they offer important insight into how obesity may affect men and women differently,” said Pekel.

“These differences are likely influenced by biological factors such as hormones, immune responses, and fat distribution. Our next steps are to validate these findings in larger populations, better understand the biological processes behind these differences, and explore how these patterns relate to clinical risk.”

The post Health Issues Linked to Obesity Differ Between Men and Women appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

Posted on

Evaluating an Incentive-Based mHealth App for Physical Activity Promotion Using the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trial Model: Small Cohort Study

Background: Physical inactivity remains a public health concern, with 42% (around 1 in 2) of women and 34% (around 1 in 3) of men in the United Kingdom, for example, failing to meet moderate-to-vigorous physical activity guidelines. To promote physical activity (PA) at scale, smartphone-based mHealth (mobile health) software apps offer a promising solution. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an mHealth app offering very small (“micro”) financial incentives for PA in Leeds, United Kingdom. Methods: A 5-week single-arm proof-of-concept study was conducted with rolling recruitment among Caterpillar Health app users between September 12 and December 12, 2022 (Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trial model, phase IIa). Users earned microincentives in the form of “points,” redeemable for consumer rewards (eg, movie tickets and gym passes), for meeting personalized daily step goals (US $0.13 per goal achieved; set using data from a 5-day baseline) and completing educational quizzes (US $0.33 per quiz). Descriptive statistics assessed feasibility outcomes (ie, reach, recruitment, retention, engagement, and acceptability) and preliminary effectiveness. Paired-samples tests (<.05) examined changes in weekly mean daily step count (from baseline) and step goal achievement over 5 weeks. Results: Of 285 app downloads, 46 users consented to participate (recruitment rate: 16.1%). Participants (mean age: 39.9, SD 11.1 y; 71.1%, 33/46 woman) had a baseline step count of 5598 (SD 2664) steps/day. A total of 25 participants remained engaged (ie, completed at least 1 quiz) at study week 5 (retention rate: 54.3%). Acceptability was high, with 75% of respondents (12/16) indicating they would recommend the app. Weekly mean daily step count did not significantly increase from baseline (mean difference 317, SD 2273, =.53). Weekly daily step goal achievement rate (%) decreased from study week 1 to 5 (−23.23, SD 22.85, =.02). Conclusions: Despite lower-than-expected recruitment and no statistically significant PA increase, relatively high engagement and acceptability suggest future pilot testing (Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trial model, phase IIb) of a refined intervention (eg, wider selection of loyalty reward partners) and modified study protocol (eg, simplified consent process) is warranted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05294692; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05294692
Posted on

Drugs from a Text Prompt, Wegovy Pill Competition Dampens Lilly’s Surge

From designing drugs with a simple text prompt to running experiments guided by extended reality, a new wave of agentic AI is transforming the modern lab. Our editors discuss the latest autonomous systems accelerating biological discovery. In business deals, Gilead Sciences has acquired Tubulis in a transaction worth up to $5 billion, strengthening the buyer’s position in antibody–drug conjugates for cancer. Correspondingly, Eli Lilly and Biogen are each making billion-dollar-plus bets, acquiring Centessa, a sleep disorder drug developer, and Apellis, known for its work in immunology and rare diseases. Our episode rounds out by unpacking the dynamic obesity drug market, where intensifying competition from Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill is prompting Lilly to temper the 2026 sales outlook for its oral obesity drug, Foundayo.

 

 

Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:

Can AI Agents Automate Scientific Discovery?
By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, April 1, 2026

Gilead to Acquire Tubulis for Up to $5B, Expanding Cancer ADC Capabilities
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 7, 2026

Lilly Acquires Centessa for Up to $7.8B; Biogen Buys Apellis for Up to $6.1B
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, March 31, 2026

StockWatch: Price War Dampens Lilly Surge After Oral GLP-1 Wins FDA Nod
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, April 5, 2026

Touching Base Podcast
Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD

Behind the Breakthroughs

Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD

The post Drugs from a Text Prompt, Wegovy Pill Competition Dampens Lilly’s Surge appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

Posted on

Therapeutic Potential of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Smoking Cessation

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies are under investigation for a growing number of neuropsychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders. Cigarette smoking accounts for the largest proportion of substance use-related morbidity and mortality, in part reflecting increased risk for cardiometabolic disease among people who smoke. Given modest quit rates with approved smoking cessation therapies, medications with novel mechanisms of action are needed to expand the available monotherapy and combination treatment options.

Posted on

AI Finds Unreported Side Effects of GLP-1 Drugs in Reddit Posts

A study of more than 400,000 posts in the social media platform Reddit has identified previously unreported side effects from the increasingly popular GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs. Users reported symptoms affecting menstrual cycles and body temperature, which have not yet been described in clinical trials or included in drug labels.  

Published today in Nature Health, the study covers over five years of public online posts from nearly 70,000 Reddit users discussing their personal experience taking the GLP-1 drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide.

“Some of the side effects we found, like nausea, are well known, and that shows that the method is picking up a real signal,” says Sharath Chandra Guntuku, PhD, research associate professor in computer and information science at Penn Engineering and the study’s senior author. “The underreported symptoms are leads that came from patients themselves, unprompted, and clinicians could potentially pay attention to them.”  

Although the study is not representative of the broader population—Reddit users are generally younger, more likely male and based in the U.S.—the symptoms reported collectively match known side effects of semaglutide and tirzepatide. About 44% of users described at least one known side effect, most commonly symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. 

“Clinical trials generally identify the most dangerous side effects of drugs, but they can fail to find what symptoms patients are most concerned about,” says Lyle H. Ungar, PhD, professor in computer and information science at Penn Engineering. “Online patient communities work a lot like a neighborhood grapevine. People who are living with these medications are swapping notes with each other in real time, sharing experiences that rarely make it into a doctor’s office visit or an official report. Even though social media is not necessarily representative, a large collection of posts may reflect additional concerns.” 

The study uncovered a series of side effects that were previously unreported for these drugs. This included discussions of menstrual cycle changes, such as intermenstrual bleeding, heavy bleeding, and irregular cycles. Other users reported chills, hot flashes, fever, and other temperature-related symptoms. In addition, fatigue symptoms ranked as the second most common complaint in these online posts despite rarely being reported in clinical trials. 

“We can’t say that GLP-1s are actually causing these symptoms,” says Neil K. R. Sehgal, doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania and the study’s lead author. “But nearly 4% of the Reddit users in our sample reported menstrual irregularities, which would be even higher in a female-only sample. We think that’s a signal worth investigating.” 

While efforts to scour the internet for self-reported drug side effects have been ongoing for more than a decade, screening through social media posts at scale remained challenging until the arrival of large language models such as ChatGPT or Gemini. In particular, these tools can prove instrumental in mapping the language users use to describe their symptoms to clinical terminology defined in the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA), used to officially report symptoms in clinical trials. 

“Large language models have made it possible to do this kind of analysis much faster with a level of standardization that could be difficult to achieve before,” says Sehgal. 

The researchers hope these findings will encourage researchers and drug developers to investigate the side effects discussed by users online. In future work, the team plans to expand beyond Reddit and English-language discussions to confirm whether the same symptoms appear across different social media platforms and populations. 

While this approach is not intended as a replacement for clinical trials, screening social media posts for clues on unreported side effects can make a significant difference in terms of speed. This can be especially relevant for drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide, originally diabetes drugs that quickly became mainstream when the FDA granted them approval as weight loss drugs. 

“Clinical trials are the gold standard, but by design, they are slow,” says Guntuku. “The whole point of this kind of approach is that it can move quickly, and that’s exactly when it’s most valuable.”

The post AI Finds Unreported Side Effects of GLP-1 Drugs in Reddit Posts appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

Posted on

A Text Messaging–Based Program to Transition From Basal Insulin to Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Safety-Net Diabetes Care: Pilot Quality Improvement Intervention Study

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and basal insulin both lower blood sugar, but while insulin puts people at risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain, GLP-1 RAs do not. In addition, GLP-1 RAs have added cardiometabolic and renal benefits. For these reasons, when possible, many primary care providers prefer their patients with type 2 diabetes to be from basal insulin to a GLP-1 RA. This transition process can be labor intensive, requiring multiple dosing adjustments and a watchful eye for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. The Mobile Insulin Titration Intervention (MITI)–GLP1 program uses SMS text messaging–based technology to support a streamlined and supervised transition process from basal insulin to a GLP-1 RA. This program takes place at a multilingual safety-net clinic. Objective: Our objectives were to assess program feasibility and acceptability to determine whether the intervention was doable, practical, and worthy of further investigation via a larger controlled trial. Preliminary clinical outcomes are also discussed in this paper. Methods: Patients were enrolled on a secure web platform that sent them a daily SMS text message asking the following: “What was your fasting blood sugar this morning?” Each weekday, texted responses containing patients’ fasting blood sugar levels were checked for alarm values, and once weekly, patients were called and advised on whether and how to lower their basal insulin and increase their GLP-1 RA dose. The program was co-run by general internal medicine physicians and nurses and continued until the patient had their insulin stopped completely and/or their GLP-1 RA dose reached the maximum, or 16 weeks elapsed. All enrolled patients were included in the analyses. Results: A total of 72 patients completed the pilot program. Feasibility and acceptability were high. Of 3671 SMS text messages sent by the program, 3520 (95.89%) received a response from patients. Of 719 cumulative weeks in which Thursday titration phone calls were attempted, successful connections with patients were made in 649 (90.26%) instances. Preliminary clinical outcomes were promising. Insulin doses were meaningfully reduced (55/72, 76.39% had their basal insulin reduced by at least 50%; 45/72, 62.5% had their insulin stopped completely). GLP-1 RA doses were meaningfully increased (64/72, 88.89% had their GLP-1 RA dose increased by ≥1 level; 45/72, 62.5% were discharged on the maximum dose of their GLP-1 RA). There was minimal hypoglycemia (5/3520, 0.14% of the SMS text messages reported a value of <80 mg/dL) and hyperglycemia (1/3520, 0.03% of the SMS text messages reported a value of >400 mg/dL). Conclusions: A general internal medicine–run MITI-GLP1 pilot program using SMS text messaging and interdisciplinary teamwork between internists and nurses is a feasible and acceptable intervention for safely and effectively transitioning people with well-controlled type 2 diabetes away from basal insulin and toward a GLP-1 RA.
Posted on

STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about top pharma lobbyist stepping down, genes and GLP-1 drugs, and more

Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Sunny skies and mild breezes are enveloping the Pharmalot campus once again. And to celebrate, we are brewing still more cups of stimulation and inviting you to join us. Our choice today is Jack Daniel’s. Yes, this is a real thing. And remember, a prescription is not required. So no need to mess with rebates, coupons, or TrumpRx. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a smashing day and conquer the world. And of course, do stay in touch. We appreciate feedback, criticism and tips. …

Steve Ubl, the chief executive of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of ​America, plans to step down at the end of the ‌year, after more than a decade of leading the main trade group for brand-name drug makers, STAT notes. Ubl led the organization during tumultuous times that included the Covid-19 pandemic and aggressive political attacks on prescription drug pricing. Democrats passed a law directing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and the Trump administration struck  voluntary deals with individual drugmakers aimed at lowering U.S. prices to levels in other high-income countries. The next head of PhRMA will face increasing political pressure on prices and an increasingly populist mood. 

Specific changes in two genes appear to help predict whether patients will lose substantial weight on GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity — and whether the drugs will cause nausea or vomiting, which are some of their most common side effects, STAT writes, citing a paper in Nature. “I think we have proof of concept here that genetics is playing a role in terms of GLP-1 efficacy and side effects,” said Adam Auton, a vice president at the 23andMe Research Institute and the senior author on the paper. Outside researchers were impressed and intrigued by the findings, but some doubted whether the genetic results would impact patient care. Still, consumers who use what 23andMe calls its Total Health platform will have access to information about these genes and what they predict about GLP-1 use.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

Posted on

STAT+: Genetics may shape GLP-1 outcomes, slightly

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox.

PhRMA CEO Steve Ubl is stepping down. Biotech investors are grappling with pressure from AI and rising competition from Chinese labs, even though firms sit on large cash reserves.

Also, the Trump administration is stepping back from the “indirect cost” fight at the NIH, and new data suggest genetics may modestly influence responses to GLP-1 drugs.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…