From the WashU Newsroom… Nerve axons serve as the wiring of the nervous system, sending electrical signals that control movement and sense of touch. When axons are damaged, whether by injury or as a side effect of certain drugs, a program is triggered that leads axons to self-destruct. This destruction likely plays an important role […]
Studies of people and their companion microbes shed light on health and disease From the WashU Outlook Magazine… ven in our most solitary moments, we humans are never alone. On us and within us, tens of trillions of microbes live and thrive — not as passive hitchhikers, but as interactive, symbiotic shapers of our biology. […]
Findings shed light on chronic diseases, aging From the WashU School of Medicine News… Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a previously unknown route for cellular fuel delivery, a finding that could shed light on the process of aging and the chronic diseases that often accompany it. With age, […]
Findings could help determine how dogs evolved such good noses From the WashU School of Medicine News… Dogs, known for their extraordinarily keen senses of smell, can be trained to use their sensitive sniffers to find drugs, bombs, bed bugs, missing hikers and even cancer. Among dogs and other animals that rely on smell, at […]
Pharmaceutical company to fund up to $10 million to pursue new therapeutics From the WashU School of Medicine News… Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has joined with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in a collaborative research partnership aimed at pursuing new therapies for patients with complex medical conditions, especially rare diseases that may have few […]
Personalized vaccine may extend survival of glioblastoma patients From the WashU Newsroom… Most people with the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma die less than 18 months after diagnosis. But a multicenter clinical trial of a personalized vaccine that targets the aggressive cancer has indicated improved survival rates for such patients. The study appears May 29 in the Journal […]
Illuminated role of gut microbial communities in human health, disease From the WashU Newsroom… Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2018 Copley Medal from the Royal Society in Britain. He is being honored for his studies of human gut microbial communities, which have led to a […]
Zebrafish shed light on birth defects, cancer treatment From the WashU Newsroom… Zebrafish embryos are transparent and develop outside the mother’s body, enabling scientists to get a detailed view of early development. A research team led by Lila Solnica-Krezel, PhD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Developmental […]
Drug compound may help against Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease From the WashU Newsroom… Scientists have developed a new drug compound that shows promise as a future treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited, often painful neurodegenerative condition that affects nerves in the hands, arms, feet and legs. The researchers used the compound to treat the nerves of mice […]
Reprogrammed brain cells exhibit ‘symptoms’ of fatal disease From the WashU Newsroom… 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 and […]
From the WashU Newsroom… Seven faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis are among 396 new fellows selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. Michael G. Caparon Jr.; Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH; John A. Cooper, MD, PhD; Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD; Susan K. Dutcher; Timothy J. Eberlein, MD — all […]
Couch family gift names new building, supports genome engineering center From the WashU Newsroom… Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received a $10 million commitment from longtime benefactors George and Debra Couch to support research that advances personalized medicine. In recognition of their generosity, the recently built research building at 4515 McKinley […]
‘Father of microbiome’ honored for revealing importance of gut microbes in human health, disease From the WashU Newsroom… Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been awarded the 2017 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize by Columbia University. The award is one of the top prizes honoring contributions to the biological […]
New technique could aid treatments for diseases that lead to paralysis From the WashU Newsroom… Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human motor neurons in the lab. Motor neurons drive muscle contractions, and their damage underlies devastating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal […]