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Good morning. The art for the Trump administration’s new publication, “The Magic Tablet,” has a very uncanny valley feel. Read Isa’s report below and let me know what you think.
ADA rejects claims of censorship, police involvement
Nearly three months after members of the American Diabetes Association were ejected from the group’s scientific sessions in New Orleans for handing out an editorial criticizing federal funding cuts, an internal review has denied allegations of censorship and of involving local police in the incident. The review also dismissed suggestions that the organization acted in response to the substance of the editorial, STAT’s Elizabeth Cooney reports.
Steven Kahn, editor-in-chief of Diabetes Care and one of the five who were escorted out of the meeting, has questioned the independence of the review. The findings are being sent to the ADA board for action, Liz reports, but it appears unlikely to quell the controversy that has burned on since the incident. Read more from Liz on the details of the ADA’s denials and how those involved have reacted. Separately, ADA CEO Charles Henderson wrote a First Opinion essay on his perspective of the events.
Stopgap spending bill passes House
The House voted yesterday to pass a stopgap government-funding bill that temporarily blocks the White House’s proposal to give political appointees more control over federal research grants. The bill passed 370-48, and now goes to the president for his signature.
The bill funds the government until Dec. 11 to get past the midterm elections without a government shutdown, and the ban on the research-funding policy expires at the same time. Read more on the details from STAT’s John Wilkerson and Anil Oza.
HHS wants kids to touch grass
The Department of Health and Human Services put on an event yesterday morning to promote its anti-screen-time message — “Live Real Life” — and promote its new children’s book, “The Magic Tablet.” The story follows a child who wants to become a content creator but, without a tablet of her own, decides to draw one and play make-believe. She then convinces her parents to get off of their devices.
That captured much of the vibe of the four-hour gathering. Researchers and policy wonks argued about the quality of data showing that social media harms mental health but also urged parents to offer kids enjoyable IRL experiences instead of setting strict limits on devices. Executives from Meta and Snap Inc. talked about new parental controls the companies are rolling out. HRSA director Thomas Engels said his agency is developing its own app for parents to better manage kids’ screen time and “productivity,” without offering details. Other speakers said lawmakers need to force tech giants to “de-engineer” features that promote longer sessions.
“These things were put in. They can be taken out,” said Dimitri Christakis, editor-in-chief of JAMA Pediatrics and a pediatrics professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
The one young person in these discussions was 21-year-old Adnan Alkhalili, who co-founded a university-based group called Touch Grass Together, which encourages students to get off their phones and out into the world. — Isabella Cueto
How will the next DSM address the algorithm?
The last time there was a new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, in 2013, TikTok didn’t exist. ChatGPT was still nearly a decade away. Now, clinicians and researchers are set to discuss the next edition of the DSM, expected in 2030. A new First Opinion essay argues that the manual should include social media algorithms as a modern environmental influence on mental health, and particularly on eating disorders.
“The way algorithms now shape how people think about food, their bodies, and themselves would have seemed like science fiction in 2013,” two leaders at the National Eating Disorders Association write. Read more on why they believe the DSM should encourage clinicians to assess algorithmic exposure when performing eating disorder evaluations.
An unexpected discovery on alpha-gal syndrome
NIH researchers looking for a malaria prevention strategy may have instead discovered a way to fight alpha-gal syndrome, according to a paper published yesterday in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The syndrome, induced by tick bites, can cause dangerous allergic reactions to red meat.
Alpha-gal syndrome occurs when a tick bite triggers an immune reaction to a molecule called galactose-α-1,3-galactose (long for alpha-gal) that’s found in food products like beef, pork, dairy, and, separately, tick saliva. The molecule also exists on malaria parasites; the researchers had been trying to identify allergen-specific monoclonal antibodies to neutralize infection, but none could bind well to the parasite. When the team tried the same approach in laboratory tests for alpha-gal syndrome, 13 out of 40 antibodies could bind to allergens, two blocked IgE from the immune system from attaching to allergens, and one interfered with the activation of immune cells called basophils, which are involved in the body’s allergic reaction.
It’s complicated, incremental research. But given the rising number of alpha-gal cases, it’s research worth watching.
What we’re reading
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James Dyson sold us on a $400 hair dryer. Now he’s trying a $499 toothbrush, Wall Street Journal
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A top virus scientist stared down Covid lab-leak proponents. Now his life’s work is at stake, Bloomberg
- How Trump’s latest pharma deals may undermine efforts to rein in drug costs, STAT
- Inside the perimenopause industrial complex, Wired
- The Ig Nobel Prizes, long held in the U.S., head to Europe due to Trump policies, Boston Globe