Analysis of MRI scans identifies some unexplained bright objects as tumors From the WashU Newsroom… The frequency of brain tumors has been underestimated in children with the common genetic syndrome neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), according to a new study. This disorder is characterized by birthmarks on the skin and benign nerve tumors that develop in […]
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 […]
“Small near-infrared photochromic protein for photoacoustic multi-contrast imaging and detection of protein interactions in vivo” (2018) Nature Communications Small near-infrared photochromic protein for photoacoustic multi-contrast imaging and detection of protein interactions in vivo (2018) Nature Communications, 9 (1), art. no. 2734, . Li, L.a , Shemetov, A.A.b , Baloban, M.b , Hu, P.c , Zhu, L.c d , Shcherbakova, D.M.b , […]
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 […]
"Nicotine aversion is mediated by GABAergic interpeduncular nucleus inputs to laterodorsal tegmentum" (2018) Nature Communications Nicotine aversion is mediated by GABAergic interpeduncular nucleus inputs to laterodorsal tegmentum (2018) Nature Communications, 9 (1), art. no. 2710, . Wolfman, S.L.a , Gill, D.F.a , Bogdanic, F.b , Long, K.c , Al-Hasani, R.d , McCall, J.G.d e f , Bruchas, M.R.e f , McGehee, […]
Physician-scientist focuses on young adults with sickle cell disease From the WashU School of Medicine News… To a young Allison King, Washington University School of Medicine served as one of the best playgrounds in St. Louis. As a preschooler, she hid underneath benches in the renal lab where her mother worked. In grade school, she […]
Age at first birth in women is genetically associated with increased risk of schizophrenia (2018) Scientific Reports Age at first birth in women is genetically associated with increased risk of schizophrenia (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 10168, . Ni, G.a b , Gratten, J.c d , Wray, N.R.c d , Lee, S.H.a b d , Ripke, S.e f , […]
Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society honors Lee From the WashU School of Medicine News… Jin Vivian Lee, a second-year medical student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is one of 60 recipients of a $5,000 summer research fellowship from the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society. The Carolyn L. […]
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 […]
"The Open Source GAITOR Suite for Rodent Gait Analysis" (2018) Scientific Reports The Open Source GAITOR Suite for Rodent Gait Analysis (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 9797, . Jacobs, B.Y.a , Lakes, E.H.a , Reiter, A.J.b , Lake, S.P.b , Ham, T.R.c , Leipzig, N.D.c , Porvasnik, S.L.a , Schmidt, C.E.a , Wachs, R.A.a d , Allen, K.D.a a University […]
Drug extends survival, reverses some neuromuscular damage in animals From the WashU School of Medicine News… About 20,000 people in the United States are living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The invariably fatal disease kills the nerve cells that control walking, eating and breathing. Few people survive more than […]
Honored for research, patient care From the WashU School of Medicine News… Joshua B. Rubin, MD, PhD, a professor of pediatrics and of neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the Pioneer Award for Pediatric Neuro-Oncology from the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation. The charitable organization honored Rubin on June 6 […]
"Development of vestibular behaviors in zebrafish" (2018) Current Opinion in Neurobiology Development of vestibular behaviors in zebrafish (2018) Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 53, pp. 83-89. Bagnall, M.W.a , Schoppik, D.b a Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States b Departments of Otolaryngology, Neuroscience & Physiology, the Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New […]
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 […]
"Testing neurophysiological markers related to fear-potentiated startle" (2018) Psychiatry Research Testing neurophysiological markers related to fear-potentiated startle (2018) Psychiatry Research, 267, pp. 195-200. Seligowski, A.V.a b , Bondy, E.c , Singleton, P.a b , Orcutt, H.K.d , Ressler, K.J.a b , Auerbach, R.P.b e f a Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States b McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, […]
Study to evaluate effects of fasting on immune system, gut bacteria From the WashU School of Medicine News… People with multiple sclerosis (MS) can find an abundance of conflicting advice suggesting that special diets – everything from avoiding processed foods to going low-carb – will ease their symptoms. But the evidence is scanty that dietary […]
From the WashU Newsroom… Mental health researcher Deanna Barch, of Washington University in St. Louis, has been awarded a $3.5 million MERIT award from the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Barch Barch is chair of the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts & Sciences and the Gregory […]
"Brain multiplexes reveal morphological connectional biomarkers fingerprinting late brain dementia states" (2018) Scientific Reports Brain multiplexes reveal morphological connectional biomarkers fingerprinting late brain dementia states (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 4103, . Mahjoub, I.a b , Mahjoub, M.A.b , Rekik, I.a , Weiner, M.c , Aisen, P.d , Petersen, R.e , Jack, C.f , Jagust, W.g , Trojanowki, J.h […]
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 […]
Old cancer drug may treat devastating blood vessel disease From the WashU School of Medicine News… When Kim Morey was a young girl, a mysterious illness affected her family, striking relatives one by one at around the age of 40, she recalled. “My dad’s grandmother had it, and then his mother and her sisters,” Morey […]
"Brain APOE expression quantitative trait loci-based association study identified one susceptibility locus for Alzheimer's disease by interacting with APOE ϵ4" (2018) Scientific Reports Brain APOE expression quantitative trait loci-based association study identified one susceptibility locus for Alzheimer’s disease by interacting with APOE ϵ4 (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 8068, . Zhang, A.a , Zhao, Q.b , Xu, D.a , […]
From the WashU School of Medicine News… Kari Allen, PhD, Amy Bauernfeind, PhD, and Laurie Punch, MD, have been named the 2018-20 Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellows at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The fellowship program was established in 2004 with a gift from Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb to […]
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 […]
Physician-scientist is environmental manganese exposure expert From the WashU School of Medicine News… Brad Racette, MD, the Robert Allan Finke Professor of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named to the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council. His term began in May and will continue through the end of November […]
From the WashU School of Medicine Outlook Magazine… A bequest by the late Daniel J. Brennan, MD, is supporting significant advancements in Alzheimer’s disease research at the School of Medicine. The disease affects 5.5 million Americans — a number expected to climb rapidly as people live longer. Following Brennan’s death in 2010, the estate gift created the […]
From the WashU School of Medicine Outlook Magazine… Genomic medicine. Personalized medicine. Precision medicine. When it comes to interpreting and applying big data in health care, people may not agree on the best terminology. Most agree on one thing: Big data is an abstract, intimidating concept. DNA sequencing generates millions of data points for a single […]
"A20 critically controls microglia activation and inhibits inflammasome-dependent neuroinflammation" (2018) Nature Communications A20 critically controls microglia activation and inhibits inflammasome-dependent neuroinflammation (2018) Nature Communications, 9 (1), art. no. 2036, . Voet, S.a b , Mc Guire, C.a b c d , Hagemeyer, N.e , Martens, A.a b , Schroeder, A.f g , Wieghofer, P.e n , Daems, C.h , Staszewski, O.e […]
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 […]
"ModCHIMERA: A novel murine closed-head model of moderate traumatic brain injury" (2018) Scientific Reports ModCHIMERA: A novel murine closed-head model of moderate traumatic brain injury (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 7677, . Sauerbeck, A.D.a , Fanizzi, C.a b , Kim, J.H.a , Gangolli, M.c , Bayly, P.V.d , Wellington, C.L.e , Brody, D.L.a , Kummer, T.T.a a Department of Neurology, […]
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 […]
People who take immunosuppressants less likely to develop the disease From the WashU School of Medicine News… People who take drugs that suppress the immune system are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings, published May 31 in Annals of Clinical and […]
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 […]
"Sex-specific glioma genome-wide association study identifies new risk locus at 3p21.31 in females, and finds sex-differences in risk at 8q24.21" (2018) Scientific Reports Sex-specific glioma genome-wide association study identifies new risk locus at 3p21.31 in females, and finds sex-differences in risk at 8q24.21 (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 7352, . Ostrom, Q.T.a b c , Kinnersley, B.d , Wrensch, […]
The virus may yield a potent weapon against a deadlier disease. From Bloomberg… The scientists took their cues from the epidemic itself. Knowing how Zika attacked the developing brain, they wondered if the virus could have the same impact on brain tumors. “There’s a major effort to study viruses for their potential in treating illness,” Oswaldo K. […]
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 […]
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 […]
"Sex-specific glioma genome-wide association study identifies new risk locus at 3p21.31 in females, and finds sex-differences in risk at 8q24.21" (2018) Scientific Reports Sex-specific glioma genome-wide association study identifies new risk locus at 3p21.31 in females, and finds sex-differences in risk at 8q24.21 (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 7352, . Ostrom, Q.T.a b c , Kinnersley, B.d , Wrensch, […]
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 […]
"Common genetic contributions to high-risk trauma exposure and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors" (2018) Psychological Medicine Common genetic contributions to high-risk trauma exposure and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (2018) Psychological Medicine, pp. 1-10. Article in Press. Richmond-Rakerd, L.S.a b , Trull, T.J.b , Gizer, I.R.b , McLaughlin, K.b , Scheiderer, E.M.b c , Nelson, E.C.d , Agrawal, A.d , Lynskey, […]
Physician-scientist recognized for work on stroke recovery From the WashU Newsroom… Stroke neurologist Jin-Moo Lee, MD, PhD, has been named the Norman J. Stupp Professor of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He studies how the brain “rewires” itself after injury to find ways to enhance recovery. Lee was installed as the […]
From the WashU Newsroom… Five PhD candidates at Washington University in St. Louis were inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at the annual Bouchet Conference on Diversity and Graduate Education April 26-28 at Yale University. Washington University’s 2018 Bouchet fellows are: Andrae Banks in social work; Robert O. Motley Jr. in social work; Elisa Murray […]
"Focused Ultrasound-enabled Brain Tumor Liquid Biopsy" (2018) Scientific Reports Focused Ultrasound-enabled Brain Tumor Liquid Biopsy (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1), art. no. 6553, . Zhu, L.a , Cheng, G.a , Ye, D.b , Nazeri, A.c , Yue, Y.b , Liu, W.d , Wang, X.d , Dunn, G.P.e f , Petti, A.A.g h , Leuthardt, E.C.a b e i j , Chen, […]
Research focuses on Alzheimer’s diagnosis, treatment From the WashU Newsroom… Beau M. Ances, MD, PhD, has been named the inaugural Daniel J. Brennan, MD, Professor of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Using state-of-the-art imaging techniques, he works to develop diagnostic tools and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. He was installed by […]
Recognized for advancing research into ALS From the WashU Newsroom… Timothy Miller, MD, PhD, the Clayson Professor of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2018 Sheila Essey Award from the American Academy of Neurology. The award includes $50,000 to support his work on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly […]
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 […]
"CXCR4 involvement in neurodegenerative diseases" (2018) Translational Psychiatry CXCR4 involvement in neurodegenerative diseases (2018) Translational Psychiatry, 8 (1), art. no. 73, . Bonham, L.W.a , Karch, C.M.b , Fan, C.C.c , Tan, C.d , Geier, E.G.a , Wang, Y.e , Wen, N.b , Broce, I.J.d , Li, Y.d , Barkovich, M.J.d , Ferrari, R.f , Hardy, J.f , Momeni, P.g , […]
New technique developed at Washington University in St. Louis uses blood test From the WashU Newsroom… Taking a biopsy of a brain tumor is a complicated and invasive surgical process, but a team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis is developing a way that allows them to detect tumor biomarkers through a simple […]
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 […]