#biological drug

[cfs-crohns-colitis-warrior]

Started a new biological treatment for my Crohn’s on Monday called Ustekinumab.

Really hope it works, at least well enough to get me off of steroids so I no longer have moon face and sleeping problems.

[thebucketpail]

When You Accidentally Kill a Clown pt. 13

Pt.1 pt.12 Ao3

--------

Surprisingly, tracking down a ghost (which usually weren't very subtle, much more prone to glowing, yelling, and shooting things) wasn't particularly easy In a city like Gotham. Like come on. There were hundred foot statues everywhere, holding up the roads and buildings alike. The place was practically a maze. One that Danny and Dani were trying, and failing, to navigate when shadowy tendrils pulled them out if the air and into an alley.

It was dark, damp, it smelled bad, and the oppresive shadows were closing in, somehow maming it darker, but Danny wasn't freaking out so neither would Dani. She watched in fascinated horror as the tendril coalesced into a human-ish figure, pulling a gasp from both their throats.

The girl had void black skin with glowing white eyes. She was wearing a leather jacket with an obscene amount of spikes, matching her choker and the hairpiece that kept her onyx hair in a high ponytail. Her chunky combat boots were equally as spiked and intimidating.

If you asked her, Dani would say she totally didn't shrink behind her original, but she totally did.

The only thing about the shadow girl that wasn't intimidating, though it probably should've been, was the way she beamed at Danny like she was exactly the person she wanted to see.

"Phantom!" She shouted after popping her insanely pink bubblegum, "You're just the ghost I wanted to see! Come here." Faster than Dani could blink, she was crushing Danny in a hug.

"Gotham," he replied, patting her gently on the back and carefully avoiding the spikes, "Nice to see you to-"

"Oh my Ancients! And you brought a friend too! Come here little one!" Suddenly Dani found herself in her own bone chilling hug. And man was it weird. Gotham's skin was both warm and cold at the same time, and it moved. The feeling made her skin crawl. Luckily, she pulled away quickly to turn back to Danny.

"So Phantom, my shades told me you met Crane, and he lived!," she placed her hands on his shoulders and stared steely into his eyes, as though this conversation was of dire importance, and asked, "So tell me; what did you think?"

Danny looked taken aback, like he wasn't expecting the question and didn't know how to respond.

"Um- I don't really remember much to be honest, but he was kind of an asshole I guess?" He still sounded unsure and his voice lilted up at the end. Gotham looked unimpressed as she popped another bubble.

"Yeah, yeah. I know that part," she grumbled, removing her hands to cross her arms. Danny relaxed slightly. "The guy thinks he can become God just by gassing my people, of course he's an asshole," she paused to roll her eyes, "I was asking about the fear gas. You tried it right? What'd you think? Was it great or what?"

Danny blinked. "Oh, uh... sure? Great is one way to put it."

"Well," she prompted, "what'd it feel like? Didn't you like, see some things or something?"

"It felt like I was high to be honest." By this point Dani wasn't really paying much attention, already bored with the social call that had interrupted their search for a good old fashioned ghost fight, but that caught her attention. "It felt good though? I saw some of my- well not friends persay- but some people from home. It was actually really calming. But I assume that's not the usual response?"

Gotham let out a hearty chuckle that echoed like a thousand voices, and shook her head. "Not for loving no," she said, "personally, I love the stuff. But it makes people panic. Causes chaos I can't afford. As much as I love it, I can only indulge occasionally, otherwise the shades would spring Crane free before they even finished locking his cell." She smiled fondly, " I must admit I was a little curious to see how you would respond. I'm glad you're okay."

"Wait, wait, wait. Backup," Dani said, moving between the two and wiggling her fingers. A difficult feet seeing how she was almost a foot shorter than both of them. "You got high on drugs that only effect ghosts and you didn't tell me?" She asked, pointing a hurt look at her original who grimaced.

"Kinda?" He replied, "its really not something I'd like to experience again, plus the guy who sprayed me with it was a real nutjob."

"That's not an excuse, come on I want some."

A look of shock flashed across Danny's face, followed by a stern, "No. No way."

"Oh come on-"

"No. No fear toxin, end of discussion."

"Hey, just because I call you my dad doesn't mean you actually are," Dani pouted.

"Okay, ow," Danny said, pressing a hand over his core, "That hurt actually. But the answer is still no."

Dani narrowed her eyes as she stared up at her original, she made sure to employ every tactic in her arsenal. Pouty lips, puppy dog eyes, pleading, everything. Danny didn't budge. Eventually she broke.

"Fiiiiine, but we're doing something fun this weekend."

"You got it kid," he reached up to ruffle her hair and she bit at him. The two were seconds away from a tussle when Gotham giggled, reminding the half ghosts of her presence.

She stopped laughing when she noticed the two staring at her.

"Oh don't mind me, carry on."

"No," Danny said, taking a step away form his clone yo brush himself off, "its fine. Actually we wanted to ask you something." Gotham quirked an eyebrow at that and paused her gum chewing. "We sensed a ghost in town? Like one of the ones we usually fight, and we were wondering if you could point us in the right direction."

"Your town's a freakin' labyrinth lady," Dani added.

Gotham blinked and turned her head slightly to the side as if she were listening to someone over her shoulder.

"Oh yes, the one causing a ruckus in Upper East. I'll have one of my shades take you there and you can meet up with my knights. You know Red Hood will be there," she added, winking at Danny. He just looked confused.

"What?"

"Don't worry about it," she said, waving him off, "You're a good kid Phantom, I enjoy our visits, can't wait until you're finally King. I Hope to see you both soon." She pulled something rectangular out of her pocket and offered it to Dani before melting back into shadows. Dani took it. Once Gotham had dissipated she blew out a puff of air.

"She seems cool."

"Yeah, she is," Danny replied, suddenly preoccupied with the shade weaving itself between his legs.

"Alright come on," he said, taking off and motioning for her to follow, "I promised you a fight didn't I?"

Dani grinned up at him. Taking a moment to open the small package before following. Her smile grew at the bright pink strip. Yeah, Gotham was cool.

---------

Pt.14

This is mostly an interlude cause the next bit is taking so long. I'm trying to wrap up the arc so we can get back to fluff. Hope yall liked Gotham's return!

[eyessocurious38]

I just realized something

(Across the spider verse spoilers)

In the comics, Miguel hasn’t had the best father figures in his life. So considering that Miles wants to save his dad of all people, ain’t gonna gain sympathy from Miguel right off the bat.

Madman probably thinks he’s doing the kid a favor.

[mercifullymad]

i finally got around to watching "in the flesh" after years of knowing i would love the show if i watched it & i was RIGHT! it revolves around my favorite trope of all time ("person who wants to die cannot die") except makes it better ("person who wanted to die + succeeded in dying is brought back to life against their will").... so many good implications to play with: when kieren is angry that he specifically asked to be cremated but was buried & thus revived due to his wishes not being followed; also when he's called an optimist & he responds "i'm not an optimist, i killed myself"! everything about the show is soooo good. obviously the undead-ness is a metaphor for queerness but as ppl have pointed out it doesn't really work on account of they did in fact kill people....undeadness as a metaphor for madness works much better, what with the poor/harmful/hurtful decisions you can make due to being mad; also the discussions that configure "treatment" and the "treatment center" as a threat; the understanding that the medical system is a threat to see + sees you as inhuman + will justify its torture of you as "in your best interest" + kieren's family's willingness to trust the entire medical system over the testimony of their son even though it makes them uneasy bc of their unwavering belief in the benevolence of "treatment" & the "expertise" of medical professionals + simon's scenes of him being tortured in a medical facility, initially giving his consent but it not being respected when he revokes it + his torture scenes literally including electroshock therapy + the endless threats of being labelled "non-complaint," which would get you sent back to the treatment center.....if i was watching this show when it aired in 2013 i would have killed with my mad liberationist takes

[jcmarchi]

Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unlocking-mrnas-cancer-fighting-potential/

Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential

What if training your immune system to attack cancer cells was as easy as training it to fight Covid-19? Many people believe the technology behind some Covid-19 vaccines, messenger RNA, holds great promise for stimulating immune responses to cancer.

But using messenger RNA, or mRNA, to get the immune system to mount a prolonged and aggressive attack on cancer cells — while leaving healthy cells alone — has been a major challenge.

The MIT spinout Strand Therapeutics is attempting to solve that problem with an advanced class of mRNA molecules that are designed to sense what type of cells they encounter in the body and to express therapeutic proteins only once they have entered diseased cells.

“It’s about finding ways to deal with the signal-to-noise ratio, the signal being expression in the target tissue and the noise being expression in the nontarget tissue,” Strand CEO Jacob Becraft PhD ’19 explains. “Our technology amplifies the signal to express more proteins for longer while at the same time effectively eliminating the mRNA’s off-target expression.”

Strand is set to begin its first clinical trial in April, which is testing a proprietary, self-replicating mRNA molecule’s ability to express immune signals directly from a tumor, eliciting the immune system to attack and kill the tumor cells directly. It’s also being tested as a possible improvement for existing treatments to a number of solid tumors.

As they work to commercialize its early innovations, Strand’s team is continuing to add capabilities to what it calls its “programmable medicines,” improving mRNA molecules’ ability to sense their environment and generate potent, targeted responses where they’re needed most.

“Self-replicating mRNA was the first thing that we pioneered when we were at MIT and in the first couple years at Strand,” Becraft says. “Now we’ve also moved into approaches like circular mRNAs, which allow each molecule of mRNA to express more of a protein for longer, potentially for weeks at a time. And the bigger our cell-type specific datasets become, the better we are at differentiating cell types, which makes these molecules so targeted we can have a higher level of safety at higher doses and create stronger treatments.”

Making mRNA smarter

Becraft got his first taste of MIT as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois when he secured a summer internship in the lab of MIT Institute Professor Bob Langer.

“That’s where I learned how lab research could be translated into spinout companies,” Becraft recalls.

The experience left enough of an impression on Becraft that he returned to MIT the next fall to earn his PhD, where he worked in the Synthetic Biology Center under professor of bioengineering and electrical engineering and computer science Ron Weiss. During that time, he collaborated with postdoc Tasuku Kitada to create genetic “switches” that could control protein expression in cells.

Becraft and Kitada realized their research could be the foundation of a company around 2017 and started spending time in the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. They also received support from MIT Sandbox and eventually worked with the Technology Licensing Office to establish Strand’s early intellectual property.

“We started by asking, where is the highest unmet need that also allows us to prove out the thesis of this technology? And where will this approach have therapeutic relevance that is a quantum leap forward from what anyone else is doing?” Becraft says. “The first place we looked was oncology.”

People have been working on cancer immunotherapy, which turns a patient’s immune system against cancer cells, for decades. Scientists in the field have developed drugs that produce some remarkable results in patients with aggressive, late-stage cancers. But most next-generation cancer immunotherapies are based on recombinant (lab-made) proteins that are difficult to deliver to specific targets in the body and don’t remain active for long enough to consistently create a durable response.

More recently, companies like Moderna, whose founders also include MIT alumni, have pioneered the use of mRNAs to create proteins in cells. But to date, those mRNA molecules have not been able to change behavior based on the type of cells they enter, and don’t last for very long in the body.

“If you’re trying to engage the immune system with a tumor cell, the mRNA needs to be expressing from the tumor cell itself, and it needs to be expressing over a long period of time,” Becraft says. “Those challenges are hard to overcome with the first generation of mRNA technologies.”

Strand has developed what it calls the world’s first mRNA programming language that allows the company to specify the tissues its mRNAs express proteins in.

“We built a database that says, ‘Here are all of the different cells that the mRNA could be delivered to, and here are all of their microRNA signatures,’ and then we use computational tools and machine learning to differentiate the cells,” Becraft explains. “For instance, I need to make sure that the messenger RNA turns off when it’s in the liver cell, and I need to make sure that it turns on when it’s in a tumor cell or a T-cell.”

Strand also uses techniques like mRNA self-replication to create more durable protein expression and immune responses.

“The first versions of mRNA therapeutics, like the Covid-19 vaccines, just recapitulate how our body’s natural mRNAs work,” Becraft explains. “Natural mRNAs last for a few days, maybe less, and they express a single protein. They have no context-dependent actions. That means wherever the mRNA is delivered, it’s only going to express a molecule for a short period of time. That’s perfect for a vaccine, but it’s much more limiting when you want to create a protein that’s actually engaging in a biological process, like activating an immune response against a tumor that could take many days or weeks.”

Technology with broad potential

Strand’s first clinical trial is targeting solid tumors like melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer. The company is also actively developing mRNA therapies that could be used to treat blood cancers.

“We’ll be expanding into new areas as we continue to de-risk the translation of the science and create new technologies,” Becraft says.

Strand plans to partner with large pharmaceutical companies as well as investors to continue developing drugs. Further down the line, the founders believe future versions of its mRNA therapies could be used to treat a broad range of diseases.

“Our thesis is: amplified expression in specific, programmed target cells for long periods of time,” Becraft says. “That approach can be utilized for [immunotherapies like] CAR T-cell therapy, both in oncology and autoimmune conditions. There are also many diseases that require cell-type specific delivery and expression of proteins in treatment, everything from kidney disease to types of liver disease. We can envision our technology being used for all of that.”

[allisonswritings]

A Lesson Learned

When I was younger I didn't realize You weren't gonna be there in time.

While waiting I had other things to distract me

And I was too busy creating my own fantasies.

As I grew older I began to uncover Some things I didn't want to discover.

Stuff you've gotten into at such a young age, wondering when you're gonna turn to a new page.

I loved you when you didn't love me; I needed you when you didn't need me.

At the time I bet you didn't know this, but the choices you've made affected me, too.

Just something's I wish you should've first thought through.

Now I am at an age where I should know what is right.

And I know you weren't gonna be there to see us every single time.

I used to hate you for not being here for me.

But now I know you're where you're meant to be.

I know now you loved me in your own little way.

But that still doesn't mean what you did was okay.

You're my mother and I needed you to change.

But now you're gone, and it's too late.

You did the bad stuff one last time,

But little did you know it was the end of your life.

Deep down I had some hope.

That you'd change your ways

For when we needed you most.

We loved you.

Me, Audrianna, Ava, and Bella, too.

We all had hoped you would come through

But what's done is done.

There's no going back.

Where once there was light,

Now it's all black.

[halogalopaghost]

I can really judge how bad of a day I'm having based on how hard it is to get tucked in bed. Sometimes just lifting my weighted blanket to get under it is a HERCULEAN effort. Im working on coming to terms with the fact that this is not my fault.

[jynjackets]

no I need to make a post about it, about Lyra Erso. Because I really want you to fucking meditate on exactly what you think makes a ‘shitty mother’. How it’s always the fact that a woman won’t “stay” to tend to her child, to devote her whole body her mind her entire agency for them as if this was simply a natural order of life. A father can go to war and be so brave about it but how dare a woman even attempt it. Yall love pretending to be so radical until someone actually makes a radical decision.

And as if trying to assassinate their oppressor isn’t doing everything for their family? The issue often isn’t only just lack in media literacy but refusal to address your own prejudice against women and how they belong to “motherhood”

[frontierallergy]

Unveiling the Enigma of Alpha-Gal: Unanticipated Allergies When Ticks Transform Meat into a Health Risk

In a culinary landscape where new flavors and dishes often bring joy, imagine savoring a delectable steak or burger only to face an unexpected allergic reaction, turning the simple act of consuming meat into a potential health concern. This perplexing phenomenon is none other than the Alpha-Gal tick meat allergy, a genuine mystery that has captivated scientists and garnered attention from the medical community in recent times. Join us as we delve into the captivating realm of Alpha-Gal and unravel the intricate connections between ticks, meat, and the human immune system.

Understanding the Alpha-Gal Relationship

Alpha-Gal, short for "alpha-galactose," is a carbohydrate molecule naturally found in the organs of many non-primate animals. Remarkably absent in humans and other primates, it becomes an alien substance triggering immune responses under specific circumstances, such as tick bites. Research indicates that individuals bitten by ticks are more likely to develop red meat allergies, suggesting a correlation between tick exposure and altered immune reactions to alpha-gal.

The link between Alpha-Gal and ticks was established in the early 2000s in regions like the southeastern United States and parts of Europe, where ticks like the Lone Star ticks are prevalent. When these ticks bite humans, alpha-gal molecules enter the bloodstream, prompting the immune system to produce antibodies against them.

Mechanism of Allergic Reaction

The Alpha-Gal allergy unfolds in a series of steps:

Tick Bite: Alpha-Gal-carrying ticks acquire alpha-gal molecules from the blood of the animals they feed on, incorporating them into their saliva. When these ticks bite humans, the saliva containing alpha-gal is introduced into the bloodstream.

Immune Response: The immune system recognizes alpha-gal as foreign and generates antibodies, specifically Immunoglobulin E (IgE).

Delayed Reaction: Unlike immediate allergic reactions, Alpha-Gal allergies take time to develop. Symptoms typically surface 3 to 6 hours after consuming red meat, complicating the identification of the trigger.

Diagnosis and Symptoms

Diagnosing Alpha-Gal allergies poses challenges due to delayed symptoms and the need for specialized blood tests. Symptoms may include hives, itching, swelling, gastrointestinal discomfort, and in severe cases, anaphylaxis. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial given the potential seriousness of reactions associated with this allergy.

Managing Alpha-Gal Allergies

Living with an Alpha-Gal allergy requires careful lifestyle adjustments:

Elimination of Trigger Foods: Avoiding foods containing alpha-galactose, such as red meat and gelatin-containing products, is essential.

Tick Control: Minimize tick exposure through protective clothing, tick repellents, and avoiding tick habitats.

Educating Healthcare Professionals: Raise awareness among healthcare professionals about the unique features and testing requirements for Alpha-Gal allergies.

Emergency Planning: Individuals prone to severe allergic reactions should carry an EpiPen and know how to use it in case of emergencies.

Future Research Directions

Ongoing scientific research aims to enhance our understanding of Alpha-Gal allergies, exploring new diagnostic procedures, desensitization medications, and strategies to reduce tick populations.In conclusion, the investigation into Alpha-Gal allergies uncovers a fascinating connection between ticks, meat, and allergic reactions. If you suspect Alpha-Gal-related allergic symptoms, do not hesitate to reach out. Your well-being is our priority, and we are here to assist you.

[sanguinifex]

Naked mole rats don’t just survive via using fructose to bypass oxygen. They also got rid of the kind of pain that doesn’t mean “immediate danger.”

Imagine getting a viral vector gene therapy that turns off fibromyalgia. I, for one, am looking forward to that future.

[trans-seraphim]

it is incredibly easy for people to say "i don't understand how people can be transphobic, just let people live!" and i'm like yes you should be correct but for me to explain why people are transphobic in the appropriate level of detail i'm unfortunately going to have to also explain why there are still nazis

[sanctifiedtongues]

but also...the way they carry out the scarecrow plot at least in the dark knight trilogy (i am extremely unaware of how it's handled in comics and i haven't watched any of the batman animated series episodes that focus on him i think he's like an actual scarecrow there lmfao) is deeply carceral in its thinking: mental illness and instability is specifically used as a ploy to keep criminals from "facing justice" in essence, keeping them out of the prison/criminal justice system and instead kept within the psychiatric incarceration system (basically just arkham asylum in gotham). like it is certainly not downplaying the power of the psychiatric apparatus but of course it's just kind of individualized within jonathan crane himself, who gets a personal sadistic kick out of bringing hardened criminals protected by corrupt external systems of government and turning them into frightened shells of themselves that are denied autonomy (of course) who have no choice but to be brought under arkham's care. but we're supposed to view this and think that the horror is all about them not facing justice and seeing a therapist instead when it's something like much much more evil that is done to like irl ppl with some medications. and of course it completely ignores the intertwining of the prison/psychiatric apparatuses and how uh yeah prison does fuck up your mental health. but uh well that's batman for you.

[red-revival]

I want to rip out all of my nerves and pain receptors.

[metapphjores]

"your brain on adderall is not what ur brain would feel like if it was 'normal' its what ur brain feels like on amphetamines" literally changed my life and how i think about drugs

[allisonswritings]

Dear Father

Dear Father, I need you.

Don't do what she did and leave me, too.

Look at what happened to her.

Change before it's too late.

If you don't, soon you'll suffer the same fate.

Dear Father, I know you haven't done much for me.

It's a choice you have made.

So it's up to you to ensure it's okay.

Dear Father, straighten up or all will be through

And there will be nothing left of you.

You weren't there for me,

Still a part of me wants you to stay

Do me one favor, it's important to say.

Don't do it again. It's not healthy for you.

I would do anything to get to know the old you.

Please, listen. I'm begging you.

Stop what you're doing. I'm trying to help you.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed easing blood donation guidelines for gay and bisexual men.

Under current rules, the FDA allows donations from gay and bisexual men if they haven't had sex with another man for three months.

In a draft proposal posted to the agency's website, the FDA said the new rules would allow anyone to donate blood — regardless of gender or sexual orientation — as long as they haven't engaged in certain sexual behaviors in the last three months.

That would mean most gay and bisexual men who are in a monogamous relationship with another man will no longer need to abstain from sex to donate blood.

"This is a great first step in getting in the right direction," Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said on a call Friday. The new rules, he said, are consistent with those of Canada and the United Kingdom.

Under the new guidelines, blood donors who report having a new sexual partner or more than one sexual partner would be asked about their sexual activity over the last three months.

People taking oral medications to prevent HIV, such as PrEP, and people who have recently had sex in exchange for money or drugs would be subject to a three-month deferral period under the FDA proposal. Those taking injectable PrEP to prevent HIV infection would be deferred for two years from their most recent injection.

People with HIV, including those who take medication that drastically reduces their viral load, would still be asked to not donate blood.

“Maintaining a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products in the U.S. is paramount for the FDA, and this proposal for an individual risk assessment, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will enable us to continue using the best science to do so," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement.

On Friday’s call, Califf said donating blood is “one of several really important symbolic methods of demonstrating one caring for other people.”

The agency's restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men stem from the AIDS crisis, which began in the early 1980s, when little was known about the virus.

As of 2019, an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States had HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Advocacy groups and medical organizations, including the American Red Cross, have urged the FDA to lift restrictions on blood donations for gay and bisexual men, saying the practice is discriminatory and has contributed to shortages in the blood supply in the United States.

A report from the Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA School of Law, found that if the FDA were to lift donor bans for men who have sex with men, the annual blood supply would increase by 2 to 4%, or 345,400 to 615,300 pints of blood annually.

The FDA is not expected to reach a final decision until after a 60-day public comment period.

Marks, of the FDA, said the agency plans to work with blood collectors during the comment period to help them make any necessary changes needed to implement the new rules.