Tuesday, October 16, 2012
According to a new study from the Washington University School of Medicine.
Scanning the DNA of two people with a rare disease has led scientists to identify the precise genetic error responsible for their disorder, primary ciliary dyskinesia. The condition affects the tiny hair-like structures, called cilia, that extend from various cells in the body, and causes a range of symptoms: persistent lung, sinus and ear infections, male infertility, and sometimes a reversed orientation of major organs in the body. The new discovery, by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is reported online in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The research highlights the potential for using DNA sequencing technology to quickly identify genes responsible for rare diseases, an approach that likely will…
Friday, October 12, 2012
The awards allow the scientists to pursue visionary research that has the potential to transform science and improve public health.
Three scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received awards to pursue visionary research that has the potential to transform science and improve public health. The awards are part of the High Risk-High Reward program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund. They are: Yoo studies the genetic pathways at the root of one of biology’s most enduring mysteries: What determines a cell’s fate in the body? In the laboratory, Yoo has shown he can manipulate these pathways to convert one cell type into another. Recently, for example, he transformed human skin cells into brain cells called neurons. Now, Yoo is going one step further to convert human skin cells into specific types of neurons …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The trial will be held in 2013 at Washington University School of Medicine.
Leading scientists have selected the first drugs to be evaluated in a worldwide clinical study to determine whether they can prevent Alzheimer’s disease. The pioneering trial, expected to start by early 2013, initially will test three promising drugs, each designed to target Alzheimer’s in different ways. In people with inherited mutations that cause early-onset Alzheimer’s, the study will seek to identify whether the drugs can improve Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and effectively prevent the loss of cognitive function. “This trial is the result of a groundbreaking collaboration between academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and patient advocacy groups, with key support from regulatory groups,” said principal investigator Randall…
Monday, October 8, 2012
According to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine.
Studying leukemia in mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have reduced a life-threatening complication of stem cell transplants, the only curative treatment when leukemia returns. About 50 percent of leukemia patients who receive stem cells from another person develop graft-versus-host disease, a condition where donor immune cells attack the patient’s own body. The main organs affected are the skin, liver and gut. Now, the scientists have shown they can redirect donor immune cells away from these vital organs. Steering immune cells away from healthy tissue also leaves more of them available for their intended purpose – killing cancer cells. “This is the first example of reducing graft-versus-host …
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
According to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine.
A nationwide consortium of scientists has reported the first comprehensive genetic analysis of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, a common type of lung cancer responsible for about 400,000 deaths each year. “We found that almost 75 percent of the patients’ cancers have mutations that can be targeted with existing drugs – drugs that are available commercially or for clinical trials,” said one of the lead investigators, Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, an oncologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and co-chair of the lung cancer group of The Cancer Genome Atlas. The research appears online Sept. 9 in Nature. The Cancer Genome Atlas project combines efforts of the nation’s leading genetic sequencing centers, including The …
Monday, September 10, 2012
According to new study from Washington University.
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a protein essential to repairing the intestine’s inner lining. That lining is among the body’s busiest highways, trod not only by the food we ingest but also by trillions of microorganisms that aid digestion. Because the intestine plays key roles in absorbing nutrients and containing the microbes, any damage must be fixed promptly. The researchers report Sept. 6 in Science Express that a protein called Wnt5a is essential for reconstructing glands in the intestinal lining. The glands, called crypts of Lieberkühn, contain stem cells that continually pump out other cells that renew the gut lining, which is replaced every two to four weeks. The crypts look …
Friday, September 7, 2012
According to new study from the Washington University School of Medicine.
Sleep disruptions may be among the earliest indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report Sept. 5 in Science Translational Medicine. Working in a mouse model, the researchers found that when the first signs of Alzheimer’s plaques appear in the brain, the normal sleep-wake cycle is significantly disrupted. “If sleep abnormalities begin this early in the course of human Alzheimer’s disease, those changes could provide us with an easily detectable sign of pathology,” said senior author David M. Holtzman, MD, the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and head of Washington University’s Department of Neurology. “As we start to treat Alzheimer’s patients before the onset of …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
For new and returning students at Washington University, let us at Patch be the first to welcome you to campus. Here's a helpful guide to prepare you for the upcoming semester.
Welcome back to Washington University in St. Louis, returning students! And for the freshmen WUSTL Bears, and new students at the Washington University School of Medicine and Washington University School of Law, let us at Patch be the first to welcome you to campus. Patch is your source for local news, events, photos and information, whether you're looking for the best places to eat in St. Louis or trying to figure out bus schedules and bus routes. And because we know you'll need them (and Wash U students don't need any more stress!), be sure to bookmark the Washington University map and directory. Places to Eat Around Campus Everyone loves a good dining hall meal, but the area around Washington University in St. Louis—specifically in the …
Sunday, August 19, 2012
A variety of shops are located near Washington University for students needing anything from school supplies and guitar strings to computers and running shoes.
New to St. Louis and looking for groceries, running shoes, a decent used camera or guitar strings near WUSTL? Patch is your online source for local news, and we also have a comprehensive directory for anywhere to get anything. Browse the stores below to familiarize yourself with your nearby shopping destinations. Each link has what you need to check out the store online or in person. Groceries supplies: School supplies: Clothing and misc. Clothing School supplies Misc. Groceries supplies Clothing and misc. School supplies Misc.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
According to a study from Washington University.
Researchers have identified the primary player of the biochemical bugle call that musters the body’s defenders against viral infection. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a key molecule, MDA5, is essential for producing enough interferon (the bugle call) to rally virus-fighting cells during certain viral infections. In mice, the lack of MDA5 forces the immune system to rely on less effective defenders, which may give the virus opportunities to establish or expand a chronic infection. Like the cavalry charge in classic movies, timing is critical in fighting a viral infection. If a surge of interferon comes early enough, the immune system can limit or clear a virus. If the boost is too late, …
