Medicine & Health

New research, led by Li Ding, PhD, shows that current genome analysis approaches systematically miss detecting a certain type of complex mutation in cancer patients’ tumors. A significant percentage of these complex mutations are found in well-known cancer genes that could be targeted by existing drugs, potentially expanding the number of cancer patients who may benefit.

A new center has been formed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to facilitate research that explores the regenerative properties of cells and tissues. The Center of Regenerative Medicine is headquarted in the recently opened 4515 McKinley Research Building, along with several other School of Medicine centers and divisions.

Daniel E. Goldberg, MD, PhD, a renowned researcher in molecular parasitology, has been named the inaugural David M. and Paula L. Kipnis Distinguished Professor. Goldberg, who earned his medical degree and a doctorate in molecular biology from Washington University, is a longtime professor of medicine and of molecular microbiology at the School of Medicine.

Opting for smaller rewards immediately instead of waiting for bigger payoffs later is associated with problems such as impulsivity and addiction to food, drugs and alcohol. School of Medicine researchers led by Andrey Anokhin, PhD, are reporting that such decision-making tendencies have a genetic link to brain pathways that underlie those disorders.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine​ in St. Louis have identified “broadly neutralizing” antibodies that protect against infection by multiple, distantly related alphaviruses – including Chikungunya virus – that cause fever and debilitating joint pain. The discovery, in mice, lays the groundwork for a single vaccine or antibody-based treatment against many different alphaviruses.

High-dose vitamin D relieves joint and muscle pain for many breast cancer patients taking estrogen-lowering drugs, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Researchers at the School of Medicine have been awarded $13.7 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to create new therapies for multiple myeloma, a cancer of the immune system.​ Led by Samuel Achilefu, PhD, (pictured) and Gregory Lanza, MD, PhD, at the newly created Center for Multiple Myeloma Nanotherapy, scientists will work to develop nanomaterials and drugs to treat the disease.

Emil R. Unanue, MD, an internationally renowned immunologist at the School of Medicine, has received a Sanofi-Institut Pasteur Award for his invaluable contributions to the field of immunology. The annual awards honor scientists who have made outstanding contributions to biomedical research in fields that profoundly affect global health.

With the aim of producing high-quality X-rays with minimal radiation exposure, researchers at the School of Medicine have developed a new approach to imaging patients. Using proprietary software developed for the Microsoft Kinect system, the team has adapted hands-free technology used for the popular Xbox system to aid radiographers when taking X-rays.

To further the goal of improving patient safety and quality in health care, three institutions — the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine — have created the Center for Interprofessional Education (CIPE) at Washington University Medical Center.