Heart’s own immune cells can help it heal
The heart holds its own pool of immune cells capable of
helping it heal after injury, according to new research in mice at
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Macones to chair committee that will design trials to study preterm birth
George Macones, MD, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named the new steering committee chair for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Genome sequenced of enterovirus D68 circulating in St. Louis
Researchers led by Gregory A. Storch, MD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, have sequenced the genome of enterovirus D68 sampled from patients treated at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Nationwide, the virus has spread rapidly in recent months and caused severe respiratory illness in young children, with some patients requiring hospitalization.
Heart drug may help treat ALS, mouse study shows
Digoxin, a medication that has been used to treat heart
failure, may be adaptable for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), a progressive, paralyzing disease, suggests new research at
the School of Medicine.
Three Egyptian mummies receive CT scans
Washington University School of Medicine recently teamed up with the Saint Louis Art Museum and the university’s Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum to scan some very unusual patients: three Egyptian mummies.
Human skin cells reprogrammed directly into brain cells
School of Medicine scientists have described a way to convert human skin
cells directly into a specific type of brain cell affected by
Huntington’s disease, an ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
Unlike other techniques that turn one cell type into another, this new
process does not pass through a stem cell phase, avoiding the production
of multiple cell types.
‘Long tail’ thinking can help eliminate health disparities
“Long tail” thinking — a strategy employed by many new businesses — might yield
greater progress the field of public health by eliminating health disparities, according to a
study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis led by Matthew W. Kreuter, PhD.
Study: Most respond well to genetic testing results
People at high risk for psychological distress respond positively to receiving results of personalized genetic testing, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. More than 60 percent of subjects in the genetic study wanted information about their test results, and 95 percent said they appreciated receiving the information, regardless of whether the results were good or bad news.
Twitter can be useful tool for public health organizations — but must be carefully monitored
Social media marketing strategies present both
challenges and opportunities for public health professionals. While
misinformation can be spread, social media does provide an effective way
of reaching large audiences. Situational analysis by researchers
at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis of a recent
social media campaign by the Chicago Department of Public Health
suggests that public health organizations need to pay close attention to
how they disseminate information, and also to the response the campaign
gets.
Regional conference will focus on out-of-hospital medicine
Faculty in the Division of Emergency Medicine are hosting a regional conference on out-of-hospital medicine from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 23 and 24, at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis. Out-of-hospital medicine refers to treatment provided by emergency medical services (EMS) that operate under the supervision of physicians.
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