Insulin-producing cells more responsive to fluctuating glucose levels From the WashU Newsroom… Scientists working to develop more effective treatments for diabetes are turning to stem cells. Such cells can be transformed into cells that produce insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar. But there’s a major challenge: the amount of insulin produced by theses cells […]
Physician-scientists aim to reduce the impact of mental illness on society From the WashU Outlook Magazine… Up to one-third of the 16 million Americans with clinical depression don’t get relief from antidepressant drugs. As a result, they endure continuing sadness, problems with sleep, and often, difficulty concentrating, so that reading a book or functioning at […]
From the WashU Newsroom… A team of neuroscientists and engineers has developed a tiny, implantable device that has potential to help people with bladder problems bypass the need for medication or electronic stimulators. The team — from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Feinberg School […]
Culprit is lone error in one gene, but researchers find many potential therapeutic targets From the School of Medicine News… Unlike the more common Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia tends to afflict young people. It accounts for an estimated 20 percent of all cases of early-onset dementia. Patients with the illness typically begin to suffer memory […]
Key alcoholism gene influences how quickly body metabolizes alcohol From the WashU School of Medicine News… In the largest study of genetic factors linked to alcohol dependence, an international team of researchers identified a gene known to affect risk and determined that many other genes also contribute to risk for alcohol dependence to a lesser […]
Managing cholesterol, triglycerides may reduce Alzheimer’s risk, study suggests From the WashU Newsroom… Studying DNA from more than 1.5 million people, an international team of researchers — led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of California, San Francisco — has identified points of DNA that increase the risk of […]
Grant to renew annual clinic, advance understanding of rare disorder From the WashU School of Medicine News… Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received a five-year, $3 million grant to study Wolfram syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes neurologic problems, insulin-dependent diabetes and other serious conditions. The new grant, […]
Noted for his talents as educator, collaborator, clinician From the WashU School of Medicine News… Thomas E. Cox, MD, an innovative educator and noted mentor and anesthesiologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named the inaugural Rudolph L. and Mary Frances Wise Endowed Chair in Pediatric Anesthesiology. Cox, a professor […]
Officials tour research lab focused on fighting opioid addiction From the WashU School of Medicine News… Leaders from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) visited the Washington University Medical Campus on Sept. 20 to learn about strategies to address the opioid crisis, which has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people […]
Researchers want to understand how genetics affects opioid addiction From the WashU School of Medicine News… Individuals with a history of opioid misuse — but no history of opioid addiction — may help scientists identify genes that protect against opioid-use disorders. To that end, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are […]
Noninvasive test may screen for disease before symptoms appear From the WashU School of Medicine News… It may be possible in the future to screen patients for Alzheimer’s disease using an eye exam. Using technology similar to what is found in many eye doctors’ offices, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis […]
Study focuses on people not treated effectively with antidepressants From the WashU School of Medicine News… People with depression who are treated with nerve stimulation experience significant improvements in quality of life, even when their depression symptoms don’t completely subside, according to results of a national study led by researchers at Washington University School of […]
CRISPR technology helps target mood-boosting receptors in brain From the WashU School of Medicine News… An estimated 13 percent of Americans take antidepressant drugs for depression, anxiety, chronic pain or sleep problems. For the 14 million Americans who have clinical depression, roughly one third don’t find relief with antidepressants. But now, researchers at Washington University […]
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse honors research From the WashU School of Medicine Newsroom… Theodore J. Cicero, PhD, the John P. Feighner Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is the 2018 recipient of the Pioneer Award from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA). Cicero […]
Study involving behavior, brain scans may help ID issues early in life From the WashU School of Medicine News… Studying young children, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that kids who possess tendencies toward perfectionism and excessive self-control are twice as likely as other children to develop obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) […]
Study also shows drop in marijuana-related arrests From the WashU School of Medicine News… As a handful of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, some others have taken less dramatic steps toward decriminalizing pot by reducing the legal penalties associated with marijuana possession. In the latter, for example, possession of small amounts of marijuana […]
Investigational drug works differently than addictive opioid drugs From the WashU School of Medicine News… Faced with the epidemic of opioid addiction, researchers have been charged with finding other strategies to treat pain. Their efforts largely have focused on nerve cells that transmit pain signals to the spinal cord and brain. But new research, led […]
Early intervention supports kids in processing emotions From the WashU School of Medicine News… Children as young as 3 can be clinically depressed, and often that depression recurs as kids get older and go to school. It also can reappear during adolescence and throughout life. But new research from Washington University School of Medicine in […]
Such drugs used in treating behavior disorders From the WashU School of Medicine News… Psychiatrists know that patients who take antipsychotic drugs tend to gain weight. Now, new research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that children and adolescents treated with antipsychotics for as little as 12 weeks experience significant gains […]
Health-care providers will deliver family-based treatment From the WashU School of Medicine News… Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are receiving $14 million to test and evaluate a family-based program aimed at reducing childhood obesity. The treatment program will be administered by health-care providers in primary-care settings in the St. Louis […]
Understanding how specific genes trigger injury could lead to treatments From the WashU School of Medicine News… Multiple genes are implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Some are linked to early-onset Alzheimer’s, a condition that develops in one’s 30s, 40s and 50s, while others are associated with the more common late-onset form of the disease. Eventually, all […]
Such patients have higher than average smoking rates From the WashU School of Medicine Newsroom… Recognition of a disconnect between what patients with serious mental illness want and what health providers think they want appears to be a crucial step in reducing smoking rates among such patients. Those who have serious mental illness have significantly higher […]
Researchers identify irregularities that may cause itching From the WashU Newsroom… People who suffer itching with no clear cause may have previously unrecognized immune system defects. In a small study of such patients, researchers from the Center for the Study of Itch at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis identified immune system irregularities that may […]
Aging linked to decline in cells that control itch response From the WashU Newsroom… For some people, particularly those who are elderly, even a light touch of the skin or contact with clothing can lead to unbearable itching. What’s worse, anti-itch treatments, including hydrocortisone, don’t provide much relief for this type of itching. Now, researchers […]
Many children still diagnosed late, after age 4 From the WashU Newsroom… New statistics indicate rates of autism in children have continued to increase. However, the rates have increased only modestly, suggesting there may be a leveling off. Still, researchers found that many children aren’t getting diagnosed until age 4 or older. The older a […]
Program focuses on communication, advocacy for pain care From the WashU Newsroom… Robert W. Gereau IV, PhD, the Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is one of 12 pain experts selected for the 2018-19 Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship. Gereau — who is […]
Targeting an opioid receptor calms itch From the WashU Newsroom… A common side effect of opioids is intense itching — a problem for some patients who need the drugs for pain relief and for others fighting addiction. Now, studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a drug called […]
Findings point to potential treatment strategy for both disorders From the WashU Newsroom… Nearly half of all patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neuromuscular disorder, develop cognitive problems that affect memory and thinking. Why a disease that primarily affects movement also disrupts thinking has been unclear. But now, an international team of researchers has […]
Older cells promote inflammation, abnormal blood vessel growth that can lead to blindness From the WashU Newsroom… As people age, their immune systems age, too. And new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that aging immune cells increase the risk for age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness in the […]
Anesthesiologist works to improve outcomes for patients during and after surgery From the WashU Newsroom… Michael Avidan and his colleagues sit in a windowless room in front of a panel of screens tapped into every operating room at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. It’s conceptually similar to an air traffic control tower, except they aren’t tracking airplanes. Relying on […]
Findings could help ID risk of disease earlier From the WashU Newsroom… People 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 University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that such circadian rhythm […]
Autism risk, walking linked via brain connections From the WashU Newsroom… Scientists 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 research that has shown that babies who have delays in developing skills involved […]
Studies underpinnings of anxiety, addiction, depression From the WashU Newsroom… Neuroscientist Michael R. Bruchas, PhD, whose research is helping to clarify the neural foundation of behaviors such as anxiety, depression and addiction, has been installed as the Henry Elliot Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This is the second Mallinckrodt […]
Researchers studying use of nitrous oxide for patients hospitalized for suicide risk From the WashU Newsroom… Researchers 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 thoughts. They are investigating using the gas as […]
Study is first to point to brain changes that underlie poor health in some children From the WashU Newsroom… Adverse 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 mental health […]
Surveys over a decade indicate positive behavioral shifts From the WashU Newsroom… More 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 and stealing, according to results of a national survey analyzed […]
Expert in itch discovered first itch-specific gene From the WashU Newsroom… Zhou-Feng Chen, PhD, director of the Washington University Center for the Study of Itch, has been named the Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Professor in Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Chen’s research has provided valuable insight into how itch […]
People at risk for Alzheimer’s sought for study From the WashU Newsroom… Researchers 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 risk of dementia in those at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The multicenter study is evaluating […]
FDA-approved arthritis drug may work in new ways to fight itch From the WashU Newsroom… The 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 University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified immune signaling […]
Conditions associated with poverty appear to interfere with how key brain regions connect and increase depression risk in children From the WashU Newsroom… Many negative consequences are linked to growing up poor, and researchers at Washington University St. Louis have identified one more: altered brain connectivity. Analyzing brain scans of 105 children ages 7 to 12, […]