Medicine & Health

Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified immune signaling molecules that are essential for activating neurons in the skin to cause chronic itching.

Scientists at the School of Medicine have converted skin cells from healthy adults directly into motor neurons without going through a stem cell state.

New research from the School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine shows that the Zika virus can kill brain cancer stem cells, the kind of cells most resistant to standard treatments.

The School of Medicine has received a $46 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research aimed at translating scientific and clinical discoveries into new diagnostics and therapeutics, and to more rapidly apply research findings to improve health.

Some children born with birth defects may be at increased risk for specific types of cancer, according to a new review from the Brown School and the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.

Washington University in St. Louis researchers have developed a test that quickly detects the presence of Zika virus in blood.

A new study from the School of Medicineshows that mutations in the gene TREM2 cause an energy shortage in the brain’s immune cells, leading to their failure to protect neurons from damaging clumps of protein.

Results of a small clinical trial show promise for treating a rare neurodegenerative condition that typically kills those afflicted before they reach age 20. The disease, called Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), causes cholesterol to build up in neurons, leading to a gradual loss of brain function.

The combination of a bacterium that normally lives in the gut and a protein-rich diet promotes a more tolerant, less inflammatory gut immune system, according to new research at the School of Medicine. The findings may potentially spell relief for people living with inflammatory bowel disease.

A new study from the School of Medicine shows that a particular gut microbe can prevent severe flu infections in mice, likely by breaking down naturally occurring compounds — called flavonoids — commonly found in foods such as black tea, red wine and blueberries.