Investigational drug can reduce asthma flareups
An investigational drug appears to cut the risk of severe asthma attacks in half for patients who have difficulty controlling the disorder with standard medications, according to results from two multicenter clinical trials headed by Mario Castro, MD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the School of Medicine.
Distinguished Faculty, Goldstein honors awarded
School of Medicine faculty members were honored with Distinguished Faculty Awards on Wednesday, Feb. 18, for their dedication, talent and wide-ranging achievements. Shown is D. Katherine Grange, MD, who was given a Distinguished Clinician Award, and Larry J. Shapiro, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the medical school.
Exploring a new way to diagnose mental illness
A new study at the School of Medicine is focused on understanding how the pathways identified by the Human Connectome Project differ in people with psychiatric illnesses. Principal investigator Daniel Mamah, MD, said the group’s goal is to look at diagnosing psychiatric illness in a different way.
Camel, alpaca antibodies target anticancer viruses directly to tumors
Using antibodies from camels and alpacas, scientists led by David T. Curiel, MD, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a way to deliver anticancer viruses directly to tumor cells, leaving other types of cells uninfected. The discovery may solve a longstanding problem in the field of gene therapy.
Scientists unveil map of human epigenomes in effort to fight disease
The genome is the instruction book for life. But reading that instruction book and carrying out its
directives are controlled by the epigenome, which attaches chemical markers to DNA to
activate or silence genes. For the first time, researchers at the School of Medicine and elsewhere have assembled a comprehensive map of the human epigenome.
Mothers can pass traits to offspring through bacteria’s DNA
The DNA of
bacteria that live in the body can pass a trait to offspring in a way
similar to the parents’ own DNA, a new mouse study suggests. According to the authors, the discovery means
scientists need to consider a significant new factor – microbial DNA– in their efforts to understand
how genes influence illness and health.
Making teeth tough: Beavers show way to improve our enamel
Beavers don’t brush their teeth, and they don’t drink fluoridated water, but a new study reports beavers do have protection against tooth decay built into the chemical structure of their teeth: iron. The research team, which was led by scientists from Northwestern University, included Jill D. Pasteris, PhD, professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences.
Medicare Advantage enrollment increasing in rural areas
More rural Americans are signing up for Medicare Advantage despite reductions in payments, according to new research from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Extra benefits may be among the likely reasons, says study co-author Timothy McBride, PhD, professor at the Brown School.
England named Wolff Professor of Medicine
Sarah K. England, PhD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, has been named the inaugural Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine.
New approach to childhood malnutrition may reduce relapses, deaths
Children treated for moderate acute malnutrition experience a high rate of relapse and even death in the year following treatment and recovery. A new study led by School of Medicine researchers has found that target weights and measures of arm circumference used in assessing the health of malnourished children are insufficient and that raising these thresholds could significantly lower the rate of relapse.
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