Medicine & Health

David Kilper/WUSTL PhotoKaren L. Wooley and lab members examine polymer samples.A chemist at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a remarkable nanostructured material that can repel pests, sweeten the air, and some day might even be used as a timed drug delivery system — as a nasal spray, for instance. Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D., Washington University James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences, has taken the same materials that she developed more than four years ago as marine “antifouling” coatings that inhibit marine organisms such as barnacles from attaching to the hull of ships to now capture fragrance molecules and release them at room temperature. More…

With commonly available treatment strategies, 90 percent of women with recurrent cervical cancer die within five years. So physicians are understandably eager to uncover more effective drug therapies, and researchers at the School of Medicine have now obtained encouraging results by combining a traditional cell-killing agent with Avastin, a recently developed inhibitor of blood-vessel growth.

These brain images point out the areas most consistently active during a variety of cognitive tasks.Scientists have used data from scans of 183 subjects to identify brain areas that consistently become active in a variety of cognitive tasks, such as reading, learning a rhythm or analyzing a picture. If the brain in action can be compared to a symphony, with specialized sections required to pitch in at the right time to produce the desired melody, then the regions highlighted by the new study may be likened to conductors, researchers at the School of Medicine assert.

Photo by Robert BostonGov. Matt Blunt addressed a group of several hundred local science, business and academic leaders at WUSTL’s 21st Century Science: Foundation for Innovation symposium May 31 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center on the School of Medicine campus. Hear the Governor’s speech in its entirety, as well as Chancellor Mark Wrighton’s closing remarks.

Investigators at the School of Medicine have found that eating a low-calorie yet nutritionally balanced diet lowers concentrations of a thyroid hormone called triiodothyronine (T3), which controls the body’s energy balance and cellular metabolism.

After preliminary success using artificial bone to replace degenerative spinal disks in the neck and lower back, neurosurgeons at the School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital are preparing a study to formally compare the performance of the synthetic material against that of real bone.

Despite lack of a key component of the immune system, a line of genetically engineered mice can control chronic herpes virus infections, researchers at the School of Medicine have found. Scientists suspect the missing component has a previously unrecognized backup that fills the void left by its absence. If so, that backup may become a new focus for efforts to design antiviral vaccines.

Abnormal folding patterns of the cerebral cortex in Williams Syndrome are displayed on a lateral view (left) and midline view (right) of a ‘surface-based’ atlas.A computerized atlas has brought unprecedented sensitivity to the search for brain structure changes in a genetic condition known as Williams syndrome, revealing 33 abnormalities in the folding of the brain’s surface. The disorder, which occurs in 1 in every 20,000 births, impairs visual and spatial skills but preserves musical ability and sociability.

Assab and Massawa, the two camels that produced antibodies for the caffeine testThree llamas and two camels have provided a way to tell whether your waiter swapped regular coffee for decaf in your after-dinner cup. Using the heat-resistant antibodies these camels and llamas make, researchers at the School of Medicine are developing a quick test for caffeine that works even with hot beverages. The researchers plan to adapt their technology to a simple test (“dipstick”) that can be used to check for caffeine in a variety of drinks.

Washington University in St. Louis will host a symposium May 30-31 to bring together people interested in developing new enterprises in Missouri based on research discoveries.