Medicine & Health

The microorganisms that normally live in the gut can increase body fat, say researchers at the School of Medicine. They found that gut microbes can open the “gates” fat uses to enter the body’s fat cells.

Six WUSM researchers have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. AAAS awards the rank of fellow — the highest honor it confers — to researchers who have made scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science.

A controversial theory about how diabetes causes extensive tissue damage will appear in the November issue of Diabetes. At stake in the heated debate over the theory are researchers’ efforts to find new ways to reduce loss of vision, kidney failure, heart damage and other side effects of diabetes.

In a finding that may one day help researchers better understand age-related memory and hearing loss, scientists have shown that two key nervous system proteins interact in a manner that helps regulate the transmission of signals in the nervous system.

Defining the line between fun and frightenedIn American culture, Halloween is an intriguing mix of ghastly imagery and holiday fun, and at the forefront of all the excitement are children. But how much is too much when it comes to Halloween fun? In the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Dennis O’Brien, research associate in psychiatry, provides insight into the psyche of children on Halloween.

Severe calorie restriction prevents certain aging-related changes in the brain, including the accumulation of free radicals and impairments in coordination and strength, according to a WUSM mouse study. However, the dietary changes did not seem to prevent mice from developing some cognitive deficits associated with age, such as declines in memory.

High levels of a protein called LRP6 can make cancer cells more aggressive, according to Washington University researchers affiliated with the Siteman Cancer Center. The protein’s ability to enhance tumor development suggests that the gene that codes for LRP6 is an oncogene — a gene that contributes to tumor development when overactivated.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania have found an immune system cell can “remember” a parasite’s attack and help the body mount a more effective defense against subsequent invasions by the same parasite.

National experts addressed the most pressing political issues in health care at the Oct. 7 “Health Care Challenges Facing the Nation” conference at the Washington University Medical Center. Prominent among the bevy of hot topics were discussions about limiting access to health care to help alleviate rapidly escalating health care costs. Read more in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article by Rachel Melcer.

Researchers at the School of Medicine and colleagues in the International Human Genome Sequencing Project have published their scientific description of the finished human genome, reducing the estimated number of human genes from 35,000 to only 20,000-25,000, a surprisingly low number for our species.