Paxlovid reduces risk of long-term health problems, death from COVID-19
The risk of long-term health problems, hospitalization and death after a COVID-19 infection diminishes among those who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid within five days after testing positive, according to an analysis of federal health data by researchers at...Multiple substance use disorders may share inherited genetic signature
A new study suggests that a common genetic signature may increase a person’s risk of developing substance use disorders, regardless of whether the addiction is to alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or opioids. The research, led by Washington University School of Medicine in...Zhao studies changes in glia linked to neurodegenerative diseases
New research from Guoyan Zhao and colleagues at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis provides guidance for future study to understand the role of glia in disease pathogenesis using mouse models. Work by Zhao, an assistant professor of neuroscience,...Brown School students receive CEESP fellowships from CUNY School of Medicine
Two Brown School students have been awarded the prestigious Cancer Epidemiology Education in Special Populations (CEESP) fellowship from the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine. Wayne (left) and Che CEESP is a research training program funded since...American Society for Clinical Investigation honors physician-scientists
Three early-career scientists who have conducted their research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been honored with the Young Physician-Scientist Award by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). They are Abby Margaret Green,...Stickiness may determine how influenza spreads
Influenza viruses have an enormous impact in the U.S., with an estimated 25 million illnesses and 18,000 deaths in the 2022-23 flu season alone. However, the majority of virus particles are not infectious or are only partially infectious. How, then, do they become...Imaging tech produces real-time 3D maps of uterine contractions during labor
https://source.wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/uterine-contractions-3D-map.mp4 Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new imaging method to produce detailed 3D maps of uterine contractions in real time. The...Apte receives Bárány Prize
Apte Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, the Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor in the John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2023 Ernst H. Bárány Prize from the...Hitchhiker plants inspire improved techniques for reattaching tendon to bone
For most people, getting burrs stuck to your clothes during a hike is nothing more than a nuisance, something to pick off and throw out when you get home. But for scientists at the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB), the hooks on these little hitchhikers are...Latest pubs out of the Milbrandt, DiAntonio, & Mitra Labs
Be sure to check out these recently published articles: Congrats to Kelsey Krus (DiAntonio/Milbrandt labs) on her paper demonstrating that loss of STMN2 in mice induces slowly progressive motor deficits, a cardinal feature of ALS. Exciting work from the DiAntonio...Congratulations to the Jin lab!
May 20, 2022: The Jin lab has received a 5-year Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation Grant to investigate the impact of non-coding variants in cerebral palsy.Loss of Stathmin-2, a hallmark of TDP-43-associated ALS, causes motor neuropathy
March 14, 2022: Exciting findings reported in new bioRxiv paper https://bit.ly/3MUuVKX out of the Milbrandt and DiAntonio labsDespite odds, fish species that bypasses sexual reproduction is thriving
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/embargo/Amazon%20molly%20.mp3The very rare animals that reproduce asexually — only about one in 1,000 of all living vertebrate species — are thought to be at an evolutionary disadvantage compared with their sexually reproduced...A new tool to study Huntington’s disease
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have transformed skin cells from patients with Huntington’s disease into the type of brain cell affected by the disorder. The resulting mass of neurons serves as a new tool to study the degenerative...Like Zika, West Nile virus causes fetal brain damage, death in mice
Two viruses closely related to Zika – West Nile and Powassan – can spread from an infected pregnant mouse to her fetuses, causing brain damage and fetal death, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings suggest...Stroke recovery improved by sensory deprivation, mouse study shows
Researchers helped mice recover faster from stroke by clipping their whiskers (as shown in video). This temporarily shuts off neural signaling between the whiskers – an important sensory organ for mice – and the brain, opening up a vacant space in the brain and making...ID’ing features of flu virus genome may help target surveillance for pandemic flu
The current influenza outbreak – the worst across the United States in nearly a decade – is worrisome but still far less dire than a pandemic flu, which could kill millions. Such pandemics are exceedingly difficult to predict, but new research at Washington University...Body clock disruptions occur years before memory loss in Alzheimer’s
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/JAMA%20N%20.mp3People with Alzheimer’s disease are known to have disturbances in their internal body clocks that affect the sleep/wake cycle and may increase risk of developing the disorder. Now, new research at Washington...Sun Pharma Advanced Research Co. commits $10 million to drug development
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is joining with Sun Pharma Advanced Research Co. (SPARC) to support new drug development through the university’s Center for Drug Discovery and the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and...Genetic lung disease’s molecular roots identified
Respiratory infections peak during the winter months, and most people recover within a few weeks. But for those with a rare genetic lung disease, the sniffling, coughing and congestion never end. The tiny hairlike structures called cilia that normally sweep mucus...Light as a weapon against metastatic cancer
A new anti-cancer strategy wields light as a precision weapon. Unlike traditional light therapy — which is limited to the skin and areas accessible with an endoscope — this technique can target and attack cancer cells that have spread deep inside the body, according...Major Alzheimer’s study aims to predict who will develop the disease
John C. Morris, MD (right), director of the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, examines a patient at the center. A long-term study of adult children of Alzheimer’s patients – led...Memory loss from West Nile virus may be preventable
More than 10,000 people in the United States are living with memory loss and other persistent neurological problems that occur after West Nile virus infects the brain. Now, a new study in mice suggests that such ongoing neurological deficits may be due to unresolved...Viruses exacerbate disease caused by Leishmania parasite
More than a million people in tropical countries contract the parasite Leishmania every year through the bites of infected sand flies. Most people develop disfiguring – but not life-threatening – skin lesions at the sites of the bites. But if the parasite spreads to...Formula made with cow’s milk does not increase diabetes risk
A 15-year global study of children genetically predisposed to developing Type 1 diabetes found that drinking formula made with cow’s milk did not increase such children’s risk for developing the disease. The findings provide a long-awaited answer to the question of...Lack of sleep boosts levels of Alzheimer’s proteins
Have you resolved to take better care of yourself in the new year? Here’s a relatively painless way to do it: Catch a few more zzz’s every night. A third of American adults don’t get enough sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic...Study prompts new ideas on cancers’ origins
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/Mills%20met%20.mp3Rapidly dividing, yet aberrant stem cells are a major source of cancer. But a new study suggests that mature cells also play a key role in initiating cancer — a finding that could upend the way scientists...Deadly heart rhythm halted by noninvasive radiation therapy
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/VT%20radiation%20.mp3Radiation therapy often is used to treat cancer patients. Now, doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that radiation therapy — aimed directly at the heart — can be...A key to tackling childhood obesity: Involve families and follow up
When trying to help children lose weight, involving a parent in the treatment makes the entire family healthier, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown. Investigators from the university’s Center for Healthy Weight and Wellness...$3.9 million supports research to turn bacteria into biofuel producers
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have received a $3.9 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop bacteria that manufacture renewable biofuels — energy sources made from plants or microbes. The researchers, representing a...Washington University research spurs new WHO guidelines for disabling tropical disease
Research led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue new treatment guidelines aimed at accelerating global elimination of lymphatic filariasis – a devastating tropical disease. An estimated 70...Kidney disease increases risk of diabetes, study shows
Diabetes is known to increase a person’s risk of kidney disease. Now, a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that the converse also is true: Kidney dysfunction increases the risk of diabetes. Further, the researchers deduced...Brain networks that help babies learn to walk ID’d
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/NM%20Cer%20Cort.mp3Scientists have identified brain networks involved in a baby’s learning to walk — a discovery that eventually may help predict whether infants are at risk for autism. The findings build on previous...Alzheimer’s damage in mice reduced with compound that targets APOE gene
People who carry the APOE4 genetic variant face a substantial risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a compound that targets the APOE protein in the brains of mice and protects...Clot-busting drugs not recommended for most patients with blood clots
Not all patients with blood clots in their legs – a condition known as deep vein thrombosis – need to receive powerful but risky clot-busting drugs, according to results of a large-scale, multicenter clinical trial. The study showed that clearing the clot with drugs...Medicare shift to quality over quantity presents challenges
A new study hints that even large physician practices may have trouble moving to a payment system that rewards quality of health care over quantity of services delivered. The analysis included data from the first year of a program run by the Centers for Medicare and...Obesity prevented in mice fed high-fat diet
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/Long-Hedgehog%20.mp3Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a way to prevent fat cells from growing larger, a process that leads to weight gain and obesity. By activating a...Pursuing a precision paradigm
Of the top-grossing domestic movies of 2017 to date, three of the Top 5 feature superheroes: Wonder Woman; Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2; and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Similarly, in 2016, five of the Top 10 movies focus on adventure and heroes, including Captain...Building the foundation for discovery
Lilianna Solnica-Krezel (right), PhD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor and Chair of Developmental Biology, and Farshid Guilak (center), PhD, professor of orthopaedic surgery, co-direct the Center of Regenerative Medicine and Simple Model...A promising future
At Washington University, training the next generation of leaders in translational medicine is a key focus. “The young people in our labs are smart and dedicated, and they know that what we’re doing will change medicine — 20 years, 10 years, 5 years from now,” Skip...Cutting NIH budget could cripple drug development
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/NIH%20cuts%20.mp3A proposal to slash funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could severely impair the development of new, life-saving drugs, according to a new analysis by researchers at Washington University...Aggressive testing provides no benefit to patients in ER with chest pain
Patients who go to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain often receive unnecessary tests to evaluate whether they are having a heart attack, a practice that provides no clinical benefit and adds hundreds of dollars in health-care costs, according to a new study from...Can laughing gas help deter suicide?
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/nitrous-suicide%20story.mp3Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are studying the use of nitrous oxide — laughing gas — as a treatment for patients who are hospitalized due to suicidal...How cells detect, mend DNA damage may improve chemotherapy
The busy world inside a cell is directed by its DNA blueprint. When the blueprints are altered, cells can sicken, die or become cancerous. To keep DNA in working order, cells have ways to detect and mend damaged DNA. Now, researchers at Washington University School of...$6 million supports leukemia research
John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received a $6 million outstanding investigator award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research aimed at improving...In autism, too many brain connections may be at root of condition
A defective gene linked to autism influences how neurons connect and communicate with each other in the brain, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Rodents that lack the gene form too many connections between brain neurons...Penny-wise, pound-foolish decisions explained by neurons’ firing
The British have a pithy way of describing people who dither over spending 20 cents more for premium ice cream but happily drop an extra $5,000 for a fancier house: penny wise and pound foolish. Now, a new study suggests that being penny wise and pound foolish is not...Early childhood adversities linked to health problems in tweens, teens
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/Luby%20ACEs%20.mp3Adverse experiences in childhood — such as the death of a parent, growing up in poverty, physical or sexual abuse, or having a parent with a psychiatric illness — have been associated with physical and...Key malaria parasite findings could lead to new treatments
Sebastian Nasamu, an MD/PhD student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, battled successive bouts of malaria as a child growing up in Ghana. He survived – but decided long ago to commit himself to eradicating the disease. The possibility that his...GEiC rolls out new research services
The Genome Engineering and iPSC Center (GEiC) is rolling out new services for researchers. The center will now offer next generation sequencing-based STR profiling for more economical and sensitive cell authentication. GEiC’s new profiling service will give...Large declines seen in teen substance abuse, delinquency
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/RG%20Psyc%20Med%20.mp3More than a decade of data indicates teens have become far less likely to abuse alcohol, nicotine and illicit drugs, and they also are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviors, such as fighting...New gene-altering treatment offered for certain blood cancers
Amanda Cashen, MD, examines patient Marie Miceli at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Miceli successfully responded to a new immunotherapy — called CAR-T cell therapy — that targets certain blood...Portable 3-D scanner assesses patients with elephantiasis
An estimated 120 million people worldwide are infected with lymphatic filariasis, a parasitic, mosquito-borne disease that can cause major swelling and deformity of the legs, a condition known as elephantiasis. Health-care workers rely on leg measurements to assess...Postdoc researcher Cao receives STAT honor
CaoBin Cao, a Washington University postdoctoral researcher who studies how the placenta protects the fetus from infections such as Zika virus, has been named a 2017 Wunderkind by the national biomedical publication STAT News. The award honors young scientists and...Alzheimer’s gene poses both risk — and benefits
Scientists drilling down to the molecular roots of Alzheimer’s disease have encountered a good news/bad news scenario. A major player is a gene called TREM2, mutations of which can substantially raise a person’s risk of the disease. The bad news is that in the early...Moving toward a pay-for-value model of prescription drug pricing
One of the health care issues about which seemingly all Americans agree: Prescription drug prices have skyrocketed. And they keep going higher. How do Americans get better value for their health care dollars? One answer may be novel pricing models that more closely...Genetic testing helps set safe dose of common blood thinner
Warfarin is a blood thinner that is commonly prescribed to patients to prevent life-threatening blood clots. Despite its longtime use, warfarin remains tricky to dose because a person’s genetic makeup influences how the drug is processed in the body. Too much warfarin...Antibiotics warranted for kids with minor staph infections
The overuse of antibiotics has left some doctors questioning whether to give such drugs to children diagnosed with uncomplicated staph infections. Such infections often occur on the skin and look like a pus-filled bug bite. Now, research led by Washington University...Antibody protects against both Zika and dengue, mouse study shows
Brazil and other areas hardest hit by the Zika virus – which can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads – are also home to dengue virus, which is spread by the same mosquito species. A new study led by researchers at Washington University School of...Breathing dirty air may harm kidneys
Outdoor air pollution has long been linked to major health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A new study now adds kidney disease to the list, according to researchers at Washington University School of...Clues to ancient past: baby mummy, dinosaur skulls scanned
The mummified remains of a 7-month-old baby boy and pieces of skull from two teenage Triceratops underwent computed tomography (CT) scans Saturday, Sept. 16, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, in hopes researchers could learn more about the...Newly ID’d role of major Alzheimer’s gene suggests possible therapeutic target
Nearly a quarter century ago, a genetic variant known as ApoE4 was identified as a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease — one that increases a person’s chances of developing the neurodegenerative disease by up to 12 times. However, it was never clear why the...Scientists find way to convert bad body fat into good fat
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/PexRAP%20Cell%20rep.mp3There’s good fat and bad fat in our bodies. The good fat helps burn calories, while the bad fat hoards calories, contributing to weight gain and obesity. Now, new research at Washington University...Pet, pest allergens linked to reduced asthma risk
A new study of children living in inner-city areas and at high risk of developing asthma suggests that exposure to certain pet and pest allergens in infancy lowers the risk of developing asthma by age 7. The research also provides evidence that the type of bacteria...Medical students not trained to prescribe medical marijuana
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/Med%20marijuana-med%20edu.mp3Although 29 states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana use for medical purposes, few medical students are being trained how to prescribe the drug. Researchers at Washington University...Medical history can point to earlier Parkinson’s disease diagnosis
Before symptoms become pronounced, there is no reliable way to identify who is on track to develop Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating movement disorder characterized by tremors, slowness of movement, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. But...Does improving cardiovascular health reduce risk of dementia?
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/Binder%20rrAD%20.mp3Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are recruiting volunteers for a national study that is exploring whether strategies to improve cardiovascular health also reduce the...Does health insurance status affect childhood cancer survival?
Privately insured children and those with Medicaid at the time of a cancer diagnosis experience largely similar survival trends, with slight evidence for an increased risk of cancer death in children who were uninsured at diagnosis, finds a new study from the Brown...Potential new therapy relieves chronic itch
https://biomedradio-media.wustl.edu/episodes/JAK%20itch%20.mp3The roots of chronic itching have long remained a mystery. Meanwhile, those with the condition suffer from an unrelenting and sometimes debilitating urge to scratch. Now, new research at Washington...Siteman Cancer Center opens north St. Louis County location
Siteman Cancer Center will begin seeing patients July 1 at its newest satellite location, Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County. Siteman Cancer Center is based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, and the new location is...New clues found to common respiratory virus
By age 2, most children have been infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which usually causes only mild cold symptoms. But people with weakened immune systems, such as infants and the elderly, can face serious complications, including pneumonia and – in some...$10 million DNA sequencing effort aims to shed light on lung diseases
Washington University’s McDonnell Genome Institute has received $10 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to sequence the DNA of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, in an effort to identify the genetic roots of chronic obstructive...UTI treatment reduces E. coli, may offer alternative to antibiotics
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections, and they tend to come back again and again, even when treated. Most UTIs are caused by E. coli that live in the gut and spread to the urinary tract. A new study from Washington University School of...TING WANG AND BARAK COHEN RECEIVE ENCODE GRANT
Department of Genetics professors Ting Wang and Barak Cohen have been awarded a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute to participate in the next phase of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project.