Researchers at the University of Louisville are studying Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes bubonic and pneumonic plague, to understand its capacity to evade the immune system. The immune system’s first responders, neutrophils, summon aid by emitting molecules called Leukotriene B4 (LTB4), but Yersinia pestis can block these signals. The study has received a $2.9m grant from the National Institutes of Health. A doctoral student also received a $100k grant from the NIH to research how Yersinia pestis changes vesicles produced by immune cells.

The True Cost of Focusing on Cost Instead of Cost-Effectiveness
When payors consider only the cost of the medication and not the cost and risk to the patient, doctor, and healthcare system, the irony is


