multiblogging

I've been working on my qualifying exam for grad school, so I've missed out on blogging about a few things. Here I'll try to catch up:

1)UK Drug trial: What were they thinking?!
I know this is old news now, but phase I clinical trials of TGN1412 made by TeGenero resulted in serious adverse side effects including fever, swelling, and organ failure. The drug was supposed to be an antinflammatory/immunosuppressant and is an antibody that stimulates CD28. This did not make much sense to me when I heard about it since CD28 is a molecule that activates T-cells. Activating T-cells seems like it would be counterproductive in an immunosuppressant. I assumed I had misunderstood, and that the drug was actually designed to block CD28. For a review on T-cell immunity, see last week's new england journal. I went to the company's website to check it out and was surprised to find that it really was a stimulator of CD28. I know drug companies have the money to hire smart people and don't generally throw money away on dumb ideas, so I thought maybe my understanding of immunology was incorrect. At happy hour last friday another grad student brought up the subject and how it didn't make sense, so I took comfort in the fact that I was not alone in my assessment. Apparently, animal trials had shown selective activation of suppressor T-cells (a sort of double positive leading to a negative) and the assumption was that the same thing would happen in people. My best guess is that what actually happened was non-specific T-cell activation leading to cytokine storm and the symptoms experienced by the study participants. For me the trial highlights two things: 1)The immune system is complex, and 2)True informed consent to participate in such a trial would be difficult to achieve without a pretty substantial understanding of immunology.

2)Student protesters in France: What were they thinking?!
OK, explain this to me: Disadvantaged minority youth in France vent their frustration at the lack of economic opportunity by burning hundreds of cars a night for several days and the government does little to stop it. Finally they come up with an idea: let's pass a law that makes it easier for young people to get a job. Now socially privileged, non-minority youth protest the law with several days of university sit-ins. Why? Because they could be fired by their employer if they don't do a good job. If the young people of France could channel the same energy they expend protesting free market policies into taking advantage of those opportunities, they wouldn't have to worry about getting fired. Thanks to John Tierny for his column in today's NY Times that addresses this frustration.

3) House version of the immigration bill: What were they thinking?!
As I understand it, the bill would make it illegal to provide humanitarian assistance to undocumented immigrants. Where do they get this stuff? As a Christian, future doctor, and sometimes volunteer at a free health clinic I find it appalling that taking care of the poor (a Scriptural mandate) could be illegal if the recipient were an undocumented immigrant. From what I understand, the Senate judiciary committee version of the bill is more balanced- hopefully this will be the template for what actually gets passed. We'll see how Mr. Frist handles it. I voted for George Bush twice, but from what I've seen so far I would have a hard time voting for Bill Frist. Hopefully it won't come to that and John McCain will get the 2008 Republican nomination. He'd win hands-down against Hillary Clinton. I think Frist carries more "evil Republican" persona and it would be a much closer race.