Altering mix of gut microbes prevents obesity, but diet remains key factor

Posted On Wednesday, September 11, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , ,   
By Caroline Arbanas Working in mice transplanted with intestinal microbes from lean and obese twins, a new study shows that altering the microbial mix prevents mice destined for obesity from gaining weight and fat or developing related metabolic problems linked to insulin resistance. But there’s a caveat: Microbes associated with leanness can’t ...

Receptor May Aid Spread of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in Brain

Posted On Tuesday, August 27, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , , ,   
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a way that corrupted, disease-causing proteins spread in the brain, potentially contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other brain-damaging disorders. The research identifies a specific type of receptor and suggests that blocking it may aid treatment of theses ...

Speedier Scans Reveal New Distinctions in Resting and Active Brain

Posted On Sunday, August 4, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , , ,   
A boost in the speed of brain scans is unveiling new insights into how brain regions work with each other in cooperative groups called networks. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Institute of Technology and Advanced Biomedical Imaging at the University of Chieti, Italy, used ...

Young physician scientists to benefit from Mallinckrodt grant

Posted On Saturday, July 13, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , ,   
Thanks to a grant from the St. Louis-based Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Foundation, 21 physician scientist trainees in two clinical departments — Medicine and Pediatrics — at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will receive research support. Physician scientist trainees graduate with combined medical and doctoral degrees and usually pursue ...

Ferkol New President-Elect of Thoracic Society

Posted On Saturday, June 29, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , , ,   
Ferkol New President-Elect of Thoracic SocietyThomas W. Ferkol, MD, the Alexis Hartmann, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been installed as president-elect of the American Thoracic Society (ATS). He will serve in this post through May 2014, at which time he will be elevated to ATS president for ...

Diabetes Drug Safe For HIV Patients, Study Finds

Posted On Monday, March 18, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , , ,   
YarasheskiPeople with HIV have an elevated risk of heart attacks, diabetes and insulin problems. To compound matters, there are not many drug options to prevent those secondary problems because of concerns that they will weaken the immune system. But a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in ...

Baths With Antiseptic Wipes Reduce ICU Infections

Posted On Monday, February 25, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , , ,   
WarrenPatients in intensive care units who are bathed daily with antiseptic wipes instead of ordinary soap and water have significantly lower rates of bloodstream infections and are less likely to acquire antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the skin, a new study shows. The findings point to a relatively simple way to prevent infections ...

Emerging Cancer Drugs May Drive Bone Tumors

Posted On Monday, February 18, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , ,   
Emerging Cancer Drugs May Drive Bone Tumors Cancer drugs should kill tumors, not encourage their spread. But new evidence suggests that an otherwise promising class of drugs may actually increase the risk of tumors spreading to bone, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The drugs, IAP antagonists, block survival signals that many ...

Antibiotics Cut Death Rates For Malnourished Kids

Posted On Saturday, February 2, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , , ,   
Severely malnourished children are far more likely to recover and survive when given antibiotics along with a therapeutic peanut-based food than children who are simply treated with the therapeutic food alone, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found. “The findings are remarkable,” says Indi Trehan, MD, ...

Gene In Eye Melanomas Linked To Good Prognosis

Posted On Friday, January 18, 2013 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , ,   
Gene In Eye Melanomas Linked To Good Prognosis Melanomas that develop in the eye often are fatal. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have identified a mutated gene in melanoma tumors of the eye that appears to predict a good outcome. The research is published in the advance online edition of Nature ...

Pediatric Program For Brain Injuries Saves Lives, Reduces Disabilities

Posted On Tuesday, December 18, 2012 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , ,   
Pediatric Program For Brain Injuries Saves Lives, Reduces Disabilities Children with traumatic brain injuries are more likely to survive and avoid long-term disabilities when treated aggressively as part of a designated neurocritical care program that brings together neurologists, neurosurgeons, trauma and other critical-care specialists, according to a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The investigators ...

Siteman Cancer Research Fund Grants $2 Million for Unique Approaches to Fighting Cancer

Posted On Friday, December 14, 2012 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , , ,   
Five scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a combined $2 million in grants for their innovative approaches to fighting cancer. The awards, from the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Research Fund, are meant to further promising early-stage science that might not receive funding from elsewhere because ...

Into Adulthood, Sickle Cell Patients Rely On ER

Posted On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , , ,   
Patients with sickle cell disease rely more on the emergency room as they move from pediatric to adult health care, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. An analysis of Medicaid data of more than 3,200 patients with sickle cell disease shows that emergency room visits ...

As Cigarette Taxes Go Up, Heavy Smoking Goes Down

Posted On Monday, December 3, 2012 By . Under MISSOURI  Tags: , , ,   
When cigarette taxes rise, hard-core smokers are more likely than lighter smokers to cut back, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Most clinicians and researchers thought these very heavy smokers would be the most resistant to price increases,” says first author Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, ...