A team at the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology has developed an artificial intelligence-designed molecular switch that uses caffeine to rapidly separate engineered proteins inside living cells and trigger cellular responses on demand. The platform, called CODS, short for caffeine-operated dissociation system, could help scientists build safer and more controllable gene and cell therapies.

As health systems explore AI tools for vaccine communication, a new Penn-led randomized controlled trial offers a cautionary finding: Brief chatbot conversations can make vaccine-hesitant parents more willing to vaccinate their children against HPV, but they did not outperform standard public health materials. The effects of the written materials also persisted, while those of the chatbots faded. The researchers say the next step is to test AI as part of broader support systems that help families move from intention to action.

In a step forward for patient-centered cancer research, a new pilot project reveals that 84% of participants had a positive experience using a newly developed online tool created by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology called the Participant Engagement Portal (PEP). Alliance created PEP to foster direct connection between cancer researchers and the individuals who volunteer for clinical studies. The goal was to make it easier for patients and clinicians to share information, deliver trial updates, and self-report on social risk factors. The results of this national project are published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum.