Abstract Programming cellular behavior using trigger-inducible gene switches is integral to synthetic biology. Although significant progress has been achieved in trigger-induced transgene expression, side-effect-free remote control of transgenes continues to challenge cell-based therapies. Here, utilizing a caffeine-binding single-domain antibody we establish a caffeine-inducible protein dimerization system, enabling synthetic transcription factors and cell-surface receptors that enable...
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Breakthrough study finds new mechanism explaining ketamine’s antidepressant effects
A team at the University of Illinois at Chicago has uncovered a new mechanism that helps explain the remarkably rapid, and long-lasting, antidepressant effects of the controversial drug ketamine. The exciting research reveals the drug operates in a similar way to conventional SSRI antidepressants, except is it significantly more effective. The same mechanism explaining how SSRI antidepressants function...
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MobileHealth Wireless Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor
The MobileHealth Wireless Bluetooth Blood Pressure Monitor takes advantage of the latest technology to keep your health in check. It’s ideal for those who have the need to keep an eye on their blood pressure wherever they go. It serves as your personal health monitor so that all your data can now be kept in...
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Seeing the same doctor is a matter of life and death
A ground-breaking study has concluded that patients who see the same doctor over time have lower death rates. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The study, a collaboration between St Leonard’s Practice in Exeter and the University of Exeter Medical School, is published today in BMJ Open. It is the first ever systematic review of the relationship between death rates and continuity of care—seeing...
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Autistic people do want to socialize, they may just show it differently
A new paper led by the University of Virginia and just published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences is pushing back hard on the notion that people with autism are not interested in socializing. Credit: University of Virginia The paper’s authors say they hope the research will lead to more respectful treatment of people with autism...
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Sky-High Deductibles Broke the U.S. Health Insurance System
Employers are questioning a system they say costs patients too much. When Carla Jordan and her husband were hit with a cascade of serious medical issues, she knew that at least her family had health insurance through her job. What she didn’t realize was that even with that coverage, a constant stream of medical bills would soon...
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Why do some people with autism have restricted interests and repetitive movements?
As a society, we’ve come a long way in our understanding of the challenges people with autism face with social communication. But there is a large gap in our understanding of another cluster of behaviours that form part of an autism diagnosis: restrictive and repetitive behaviours and interests (RRBs). Anxiety can drive obsessions and resistance...
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Peas could provide cheap and effective iron supplement
Iron contained within peas could be processed to provide more effective dietary supplements, according to a new study by scientists at the University of East Anglia. Credit: University of East Anglia Supplements are taken by people with low iron levels to prevent fatigue, shortness of breath or dizziness, but are also poorly absorbed by the...
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High-strength MRI may release mercury from amalgam dental fillings
RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA OAK BROOK, Ill. – Exposure to ultra-high-strength MRI may release toxic mercury from amalgam fillings in teeth, according to a new study appearing online in the journal Radiology. The effect was not seen, however, in the lower strength, more commonly used 1.5-Tesla (T) MRI. Amalgam fillings, also known as silver fillings,...
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Buyer beware: Inexpensive health plans often not what they seem
The Trump administration approved new insurance rules this week that will make it easier for people to buy skimpy health plans—and possibly wind up with insurance that falls short of their expectations. Credit: Petr Kratochvil/public domainUnder the federal health-care law, all plans sold to individuals and small businesses were required to cover a list of...