Placebo stimulates neuroplasticity in depression: implications for clinical practice and research.

Neither psychological nor neuroscientific investigations have been able to fully explain the paradox that placebo is designed to be inert in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), yet appears to be effective in evaluations of clinical interventions in all fields of medicine and alternative medicine. This article develops the Neuroplasticity Placebo Theory, which posits that neuroplasticity in fronto-limbic areas is the unifying factor in placebo response (seen in RCTs) and placebo effect (seen in clinical interventions) where it is not intended to be inert. Depression is the disorder that has the highest placebo response of any medical condition and has the greatest potential for understanding how placebos work: recent developments in understanding of the pathophysiology of depression suggest that fronto-limbic areas are sensitized in depression which is associated with a particularly strong placebo phenomenon.

Antibody landscape of C57BL/6 mice cured of B78 melanoma via a combined radiation and immunocytokine immunotherapy regimen.

Sera of immune mice that were previously cured of their melanoma through a combined radiation and immunocytokine immunotherapy regimen consisting of 12 Gy of external beam radiation and the intratumoral administration of an immunocytokine (anti-GD2 mAb coupled to IL-2) with long-term immunological memory showed strong antibody-binding against melanoma tumor cell lines via flow cytometric analysis. Using a high-density whole-proteome peptide array (of 6.090.

Antibody landscape of C57BL/6 mice cured of B78 melanoma via immunotherapy.

Hoefges et al. utilized a whole-proteome peptide array approach to show that C57BL/6 mice develop a large repertoire of antibodies against linear peptide sequences of their melanoma after receiving a curative immunotherapy regimen consisting of radiation and an immunocytokine. Antibodies can play an important role in innate and adaptive immune responses against cancer, and in preventing infectious disease.

Influences of socioeconomic deprivation on GPs' decisions to refer patients to cardiology: a qualitative study.

Background: Variation in GP referral practice may be a factor contributing to the lower uptake of cardiology specialist services for people living in socioeconomic deprivation. Cardiology referrals were chosen for this study due to higher rates of premature death and emergency admissions resulting from coronary heart disease for patients living in more deprived areas.

Aim: To find out how socioeconomic deprivation influences GP referral practice.