Large, Prospective Analysis of the Reasons Patients Do Not Pursue BRCA Genetic Testing Following Genetic Counseling

Genetic counseling (GC) and genetic testing (GT) identifies high‐risk individuals who benefit from enhanced medical management. Not all individuals undergo GT following GC and understanding the reasons why can impact clinical efficiency, reduce GT costs through appropriate identification of high‐risk individuals, and demonstrate the value of pre‐GT GC. A collaborative project sponsored by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services prospectively collects anonymous data on BRCA‐related GC visits performed by providers in Michigan, including demographics, patient/family cancer history, GT results, and reasons for declining GT. From 2008 to 2012, 10,726 patients underwent GC; 3476 (32.4%) did not pursue GT. Primary reasons included: not the best test candidate (28.1%), not clinically indicated (23.3%), and insurance/out of pocket cost concerns (13.6%). Patient disinterest was the primary reason for declining in 17.1%. Insurance/out of pocket cost concerns were the primary reason for not testing in 13.4% of untested individuals with private insurance. Among untested individuals with breast and/or ovarian cancer, 22.5% reported insurance/out of pocket cost concerns as the primary reason for not testing and 6.6% failed to meet Medicare criteria. In a five‐year time period, nearly one‐third of patients who underwent BRCA GC did not pursue GT. GT was not indicated in almost half of patients. Insurance/out of pocket cost concerns continue to be barriers.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146968/1/jgc40859.pd

You Are What You Eat: How Does Political Ideology Predict Disgust Toward Food in India?

This study advances the exploration of food disgust by examining its relationship with political ideology and moral attitudes towards non-vegetarianism in India. Our non-experimental research delves into the influence of political ideology, vote preference, and trait disgust on aversion towards non-vegetarian food and its consumers, predicting their role in fostering disgust and perceiving these individuals as morally questionable in India. The study reveals insights into the complex relationships between political orientation, personal traits, and dietary attitudes. These findings emphasize the necessity of considering a broader array of factors beyond conventional variables in political and food psychology research, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of how political ideology and disgust shape attitudes towards non-vegetarianism in India. Limitations have been discussed in detail

Assessment of novel vaccination regimens using viral vectored liver stage malaria vaccines encoding ME-TRAP

Heterologous prime-boost vaccination with viral vectors simian adenovirus 63 (ChAd63) and Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) induces potent T cell and antibody responses in humans. The 8-week regimen demonstrates significant efficacy against malaria when expressing the pre-erythrocytic malaria antigen Thrombospondin-Related Adhesion Protein fused to a multiple epitope string (ME-TRAP). We tested these vaccines in 7 new 4- and 8- week interval schedules to evaluate safety and immunogenicity of multiple ChAd63 ME-TRAP priming vaccinations (denoted A), multiple MVA ME-TRAP boosts (denoted M) and alternating vectors. All regimens exhibited acceptable reactogenicity and CD8+ T cell immunogenicity was enhanced with a 4-week interval (AM) and with incorporation of additional ChAd63 ME-TRAP vaccination at 4- or 8-weeks (AAM or A-A-M). Induction of TRAP antibodies was comparable between schedules. T cell immunity against the ChAd63 hexon did not affect T cell responses to the vaccine insert, however pre-vaccination ChAd63-specific T cells correlated with reduced TRAP antibodies. Vaccine-induced antibodies against MVA did not affect TRAP antibody induction, and correlated positively with ME-TRAP-specific T cells. This study identifies potentially more effective immunisation regimens to assess in Phase IIa trials and demonstrates a degree of flexibility with the timing of vectored vaccine administration, aiding incorporation into existing vaccination programmes.</p

Evaluation of the efficacy of ChAd63-MVA vectored vaccines expressing circumsporozoite protein and ME-TRAP against controlled human malaria infection in malaria-naive individuals

Circumsporozoite protein (CS) is the antigenic target for RTS,S, the most advanced malaria vaccine to date. Heterologous prime-boost with the viral vectors simian adenovirus 63 (ChAd63)-modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is the most potent inducer of T-cells in humans, demonstrating significant efficacy when expressing the preerythrocytic antigen insert multiple epitope-thrombospondin-related adhesion protein (ME-TRAP). We hypothesized that ChAd63-MVA containing CS may result in a significant clinical protective efficacy