Tiny wireless device shines light on mouse brain, generating reward
Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. This LED light can activate brain cells and may lead to the mapping of circuits involved in sleep, depression and addiction.
Obituary: Ira Gall, professor emeritus of clinical obstetrics and gynecology, 84
Ira C. Gall, MD, professor emeritus of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and a strong supporter of Washington University School of Medicine, died Friday, March 29, 2013, from complications of pancreatic cancer.
Physical therapy often just as good as surgery for knee problem
Either physical therapy or arthroscopic surgery can relieve pain and improve mobility in patients with a torn meniscus and arthritis in the knee, according to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and six other centers. But the results are not simple because many of the patients assigned to physical therapy eventually had surgery.
Rising melanoma rates among adolescents, children are subject of new study
With springtime temperatures and warm weather approaching, the inclination to spend time outdoors is a strong one – especially for children who have been cooped up all winter. But parents should be vigilant about sunscreen. And teenage girls might want to rethink springtime tanning and tanning beds. A new study out of the Brown School, led by senior author Kimberly J. Johnson, looks at the increase of melanoma in children and adolescents and what those trends might be telling us.
Obituary: Marilyn Krukowski, professor emerita of biology, 80
Marilyn Krukowski, PhD, professor emerita of biology, died Sunday, April 7, 2013, in St. Louis from complications
of multiple sclerosis. She was 80. Krukowski taught vertebrate structure (anatomy) in the Department of Biology for more than 30 years. Her students raved about
the quality of her teaching and often cited the course as the best they ever had taken at Washington University.
Moving cells with light holds medical promise
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown they can coax cells to move toward a beam of light. The feat is a first step toward manipulating cells to control insulin secretion or heart rate using light.
Brain-building gene plays key role in gut repair
A gene with a colorful name – mindbomb 1 – plays a key role far beyond the brain. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that mindbomb 1 may
be involved in repairing cells injured by infection or inflammation in
the stomach and pancreas. Researchers also found hints that mindbomb 1 may have connections to cancer in those organs.
Genetic markers ID second Alzheimer’s pathway
Researchers at Washington University have identified a new set of genetic markers for Alzheimer’s disease that point to a second pathway through which the disease develops. Much of the genetic research in Alzheimer’s centers on amyloid-beta, a key component of brain plaques in people with the disease. But the new study identified several genes linked to the tau protein, which is found in tangles.
Free HIV testing available
The Washington University Infectious Diseases Clinic offers free, confidential HIV testing to anyone interested.
Painted turtle gets DNA decoded
Scientists have decoded the genome of the western painted turtle, one of the most abundant turtles on Earth, finding clues to their longevity and ability to survive without oxygen during long winters spent hibernating in ice-covered ponds.
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