Medicine & Health

Keith Brandt performs a breast reconstruction using the TRAM flap procedure.When a breast cancer patient requires a mastectomy, cancer surgeons and reconstructive plastic surgeons at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WUSM now perform a technique called the TRAM (traverse rectus abdominus myocutaneous) flap procedure, which allows surgeons to use the patient’s own tissues to recreate a natural breast.

Abdominal fat reduction with DHEA useIn a six-month study of elderly people, researchers at the School of Medicine found that the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) significantly reduced abdominal fat and improved insulin action. This finding suggests that DHEA may be able to counter the increase in abdominal fat and accompanying increased risk for diabetes that very often occurs as we grow older.

Getting an annual mammogram is recommended for healthy women beginning at age 40, and it could be even more important for women between 40 and 50. In the following Post-Dispatch article, Barbara Monsees, professor of radiology and head of the breast imaging section at Siteman Cancer Center, notes that breast cancer can be more aggressive among patients in that age group.

In the midst of the growing epidemic of obesity, a group of researchers at the School of Medicine has dived into the human gene pool to look for solutions. The group recently identified genetic variations unique to obese men and are now embarking on a wider search to find additional genes linked to obesity.

Aging and Alzheimer’s disease research at the School of Medicine recently received a $9.6 million boost. The five-year grant from the National Institute on Aging launches the University’s Healthy Aging and Senile Dementia program into its 21st year.

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.