Medicine & Health

Scientists have designed a new drug compound that dials down inflammation, suggesting possible future uses against autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. The new inhibitor is more selective than other compounds, according to new School of Medicine research.

Sticky amyloid plaques play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. School of Medicine researchers have shown that an antibody targeting a minor part of the plaques – a protein known as APOE – can sweep away the damaging plaques, opening potential treatment options.

A public health research team at the Brown School has taken one of the most effective diabetes intervention programs and made it more accessible by partnering with an existing home-visit organization dedicated to working with mothers of preschool-aged children.

A team of Washington University in St. Louis researchers designed a study — and made a toolkit available to the public — to measure the effects that a deliberately designed environment can have on physical activity, the environment and collaboration.

Researchers at the School of Medicine are getting a clearer picture of the connection between tau and amyloid beta, the two proteins at the heart of Alzheimer’s disease. Their insights may lead to new treatments.

For patients with difficult-to-treat, drug-resistant infections, seeing an infectious diseases specialist can be a lifesaver. Such patients experienced significantly lower mortality rates when treated by physicians specializing in infectious diseases, according to a School of Medicine study.

A new study shows that higher doses of radiation do not improve survival for many patients with prostate cancer, compared with the standard radiation treatment. The analysis, which included 104 radiation therapy oncology groups across North America, was led by researchers at the School of Medicine.

Proposed rules surrounding Medicaid recipients would affect a far smaller proportion of Missouri’s population than other states with similar legislation, according to research from the Center for Health Economics and Policy at Washington University in St. Louis.

Research from a collaborative team at Washington University in St. Louis tested a 3-D method that could lead to new diagnostic tools that will precisely measure the third-trimester growth and folding patterns of a baby’s brain. Their findings might help to sound an early alarm on developmental disorders in preemies that could affect them later in life.

Despite public health campaigns aimed at reducing unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics, the drugs continue to be prescribed at startlingly high rates in outpatient settings such as clinics and physician offices, according to a new School of Medicine study.