Science has announced the top 10 breakthroughs of 2023

On Thursday, Science magazine announced its top 10 scientific breakthroughs of 2023, putting the development of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and this year's discovery of drugs that can alleviate obesity-related health problems at the top of the annual list of breakthroughs.

Weight loss and overweight have always been challenging topics in science and public health. There are many causes of obesity, and the risk is life-threatening. However, in the course of weight loss medication, the stigma of being overweight has always been an issue that cannot be ignored, leading people to associate excess weight with a person's weak will rather than with biochemical factors.

Now, a new drug therapy for weight loss has emerged and is showing more promising results. This year, two landmark clinical trials further demonstrated that GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally developed to treat diabetes, produced more meaningful health benefits than the weight loss efficacy later discovered. Several trials are currently underway to investigate their effects in treating drug addiction, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

"Despite the promise of GLP-1 receptor agonists, they raise many more questions than they answer, and that is the hallmark of a true breakthrough," wrote Science Editor-in-Chief Holden Thorpe in a related editorial.

The development of a GLP-1 drug will drive discussion about obesity, which could help reduce the stigma of being overweight. However, the review also noted concerns about the cost, availability, associated side effects and the possibility that they might need to be taken indefinitely. Doctors also worry that people who are not obese or overweight will seek GLP-1 drugs to achieve rapid weight loss.

Other breakthroughs of the year included: an antibody treatment that may slow neurodegeneration in the brains of Alzheimer's patients; Discovery of natural sources of hydrogen below the surface; Push for systemic changes in the treatment of early-career scientists by global institutions; Confirming the antiquity of human footprints found in an ancient lake in New Mexico; The planet's vital carbon pump is slowing down; Interstellar signals from massive black hole mergers; The development of AI-assisted weather forecasting; A new malaria vaccine; Deployment of the E-level supercomputer.