Author: Ken Duenke

Current estimates for head and neck cancer survival are largely inaccurate because they widely disregard many of the most common diseases such patients have in addition to their primary cancer, says Jay Piccirillo, M.D., a head and neck specialist at the School of Medicine, the Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, to celebrate the life of Jean L. Emory. Emory, who died Oct. 31, was a beloved member of the Washington University community.

“Seeking Freedom,” a television documentary based on Washington University-led research into the courageous stories of African-American slaves who sued for their freedom in St. Louis courts, has been awarded a 2008 Mid-America Emmy in the category for historical documentaries.

Photo by Whitney CurtisNewsweek editor Jon Meacham, who was in St. Louis Nov. 8 to speak at the annual Founders Day gala, shakes hands with senior Ben Sales, Student Life senior news editor, after an informal session greeting students in Wilson Hall.

On Dec. 15, a few weeks ahead of schedule, the Missouri Department of Transportation will open the western half of the I-64 project and close the eastern half from Hanley Road to Kingshighway until December, 2009.

Historically, scientists have regarded itching as a less intense version of the body’s response to pain, but researchers at the School of Medicine have determined that pain and itch actually are regulated by different molecular mechanisms. Researchers report they have separated itch and pain sensations in mice, a finding that could have important implications for treating both pain and chronic itching.

A class of drugs that are used in premature infants to treat chronic lung damage can cause damage in the brain. New research at the School of Medicine suggests the drugs may cause cognitive and motor-control problems even when they are given before birth.

New research from the School of Medicine suggests cooling the brain may prevent the death of nerve cells that has been observed in infant mice exposed to anesthesia. The effects of anesthesia on human infants and young children have been debated among neuroscientists, but growing evidence suggests exposure to anesthetic drugs during brain development may contribute to behavioral and developmental delays.

Even seasoned doctors have a difficult time diagnosing pneumonia in hospitalized patients breathing with the assistance of a ventilator. That’s because a patient’s underlying illness often skews laboratory test results and masks pneumonia’s symptoms. Now, researchers at the School of Medicine report they have validated the use of gene chip technology to rapidly and accurately detect pneumonia associated with ventilator use in hospitalized patients.

Scientists have shown for the first time that neuroprosthetic brain implants may be able to help stroke patients with partial paralysis. Researchers found that implants known as brain-computer interfaces (BCI) may be able to detect activity on one side of the brain that is linked to hand and arm movements on the same side of the body. They hope to use these signals to guide motorized assistance mechanisms that restore mobility in partially paralyzed limbs.