Medicine & Health

Clubfoot, one of the most common birth defects, has long been thought to have a genetic component. Now, researchers at the School of Medicine report they have found the first gene linked to clubfoot in humans. Their research will be published in the Nov. 7 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Working as part of a multi-institutional collaboration, scientists at the School of Medicine have assembled the most complete catalog to date of the genetic changes underlying the most common form of lung cancer. The research, published Oct. 23 in Nature, helps lay the foundation for more personalized diagnosis and treatment of a disease that is the leading cause of U.S. cancer deaths.

Researchers have shown that self-induced breaks in the DNA of immune cells known as lymphocytes activate genes that cause the cells to travel from where they’re made to where they help the body fight invaders. The new finding is the first to link such serious damage to activation of genes not directly involved in the cells’ attempts to either fix the harm or self-destruct to stop themselves from becoming cancerous.

Disadvantaged and minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from cancer than other groups in the United States. A five-year, $8.6 million grant to Washington University in St. Louis will explore how improved information and referral systems can help eliminate these disparities.

Disadvantaged and minority populations are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from cancer than other groups in the United States. A five-year, $8.6 million grant to Washington University in St. Louis will explore how improved information and referral systems can help eliminate these disparities.

A study by WUSTL biologists shows that the more diverse a bird population is in an area, the less chance humans have of exposure to West Nile Virus.

Two faculty members at the School of Medicine have been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors medical scientists in the United States can receive. Jeffrey Gordon and David Holtzman were recognized for their major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health and commitment to service.

Scientists at the School of Medicine have determined that the same factors play key roles in three different diseases that can lead to blindness. In age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity, abnormal blood-vessel growth threatens vision. Reporting in the journal PLoS One, Washington University vision scientists say that although the mechanisms are a bit different, all three retinal diseases involve the same immune-system factors.

Diet and lifestyle changes, combined with medication, can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with high levels of so-called bad cholesterol. But some patients genetically predisposed to high levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) don’t respond well to drug therapy. Now physicians at the School of Medicine can help these patients with a technique called LDL aphersis.

Scientists have used a technique originally developed for economic study to become the first to overcome a significant challenge in brain research: determining the flow of information from one part of the brain to another. Researchers at the School of Medicine and Florida Atlantic University report the new capability in The Journal of Neuroscience. It will provide important insights into brain organization and function, advancing efforts to help patients recover from brain injuries and mental disorders.