Medicine & Health

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.

Robert Morley & Ed Richter investigated static electricity buildup from sliding down a plastic slide, which can temporarily silence the world to cochlear implantees.

Infectious disease experts at the School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital will participate in a new multicenter research network dedicated to assessing, treating and preventing hospital-acquired infections.

Preliminary studies have shown that almost 50 percent of people who experience uncontrolled asthma symptoms have a chronic airway infection that they aren’t aware of. Now researchers at the School of Medicine are testing to see if treatment with an antibiotic will ease asthma symptoms in these patients.