Did Cholera Toxin Finally Get Caught?

Pesky trachoma suspect finally caught.

AIM Face seeking flies have long been thought to transmit Chlamydia trachomatis, the causative agent of trachoma, but this has never been proven. The four criteria proposed by Barnett, previously used to incriminate other arthropods suspected of transmitting disease, were examined. One of these criteria remains unmet: the repeated demonstration of the presence of C trachomatis on flies. The aut...

Receptor–ligand binding: ‘catch’ bonds finally caught

Leukocyte recruitment to sites of inflammation is initiated by the selectin family of adhesion receptors. Recent research reveals that P-selectin binding to its ligand exhibits 'catch' to 'slip' bond transition that may help explain the shear threshold phenomenon.

Mass cholera vaccination finally possible.

Cholera Toxin

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, requires two coordinately regulated factors for full virulence: cholera toxin (CT), a potent enterotoxin, and toxin-coregulated pili (TCP), surface organelles required for intestinal colonization. The structural genes for CT are shown here to be encoded by a filamentous bacteriophage (designated CTXCP), which is related to coliphage Ml 3. The CTX...

How Did We Get Here?

W hen we talk among ourselves about our business, we use lots of abbreviations and acronyms. We take a lot of things for granted. To understand what I’m talking about all you need to do is try to explain how you get paid to somebody. AWP, WAC, discount, PBM, RA, EOB, DIR, copay, insured amount, rebate, clawback, etc. This is the barrier we face when talking to legislators. We are in a complicat...