Medicine & Health

Neurons communicate at a synapseAs the nervous system develops early in life, it must create millions of synapses—small spaces between nerve cells across which the cells can communicate. Scientists have long speculated that these synapses are deliberately organized to place the structures that send messages on one cell directly across from the structures on another nearby nerve cell that receive those messages. School of Medicine researchers have provided the first experimental proof of this theory at the level of the nervous systems’ most fundamental unit: individual clusters of structures that send and receive signals.

People who are enrolled in Medicare Choice HMO plans with drug coverage die at about the same rate as those in traditional fee-for-service Medicare plans, but mortality rates for those in Medicare HMO plans without drug coverage are substantially higher. That’s the conclusion of a recent study done by Gautam Gowrisankaran, Ph.D., an assistant professor of economics at the Olin School of Business of Washington University in St. Louis, with University of Minnesota colleague Robert J. Town. The researchers’ estimates imply that a 10-percentage point shift in coverage from fee-for-service to HMO plans without drug coverage could result in 51,000 additional deaths per year among the elderly.

An electron micrograph of strep bacteria infecting muscle tissueMicrobiologists at the School of Medicine discovered that Strep A, the bacteria responsible for strep throat and other more serious disorders, has a wasplike “stinger” it uses to infect cells. Scientists had expected to find a random profusion of pumps for spraying infection-related compounds. The newly discovered, dedicated stinger could prove to be an easier target for new infection-preventing drugs.

Joe Angeles / WUSTL PhotoA new book co-authored by a memory researcher at Washington University in St. Louis is one-stop shopping for all the questions we have about memory and how serious our lapses might be as we grow older. Mark A. McDaniel, Ph.D., professor of psychology in Arts & Sciences at WUSTL, says his book, Memory Fitness: A Guide for Successful Aging, relies on many rigorous academic studies but is written for the lay person. “Our mission is to give the general public a good idea of what they can reasonably expect from their memory capabilities as they age,” says McDaniel about the book he co-authored with Gilles O. Einstein, Ph.D., professor and chair of the psychology department at Furman University. “It also outlines some reasonable expectations about things people can do to perhaps increase their memory performances.”

Ellis utilizes genetic analysis to guide cancer therapy.A new breast cancer drug that has shown promise fighting a particularly tough type of tumor may become a viable option for cancer patients. Matthew Ellis, a WUSTL physician at the Siteman Cancer Center, has studied the medication, Lapatinib, since it first showed promise against breast cancer tumors. He is now conducting the final phase of trials for the drug. KSDK reporter Kay Quinn provides more details in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.

Scientists have developed a new screening technique to help them look for genes that change patients’ responses to cancer drugs and other medications.

A recent study by James Fleshman, a colon and rectal surgery specialist at the School of Medicine, showed that minimally invasive colon cancer surgery allows patients to heal faster and experience less pain. KSDK reporter Kay Quinn tells more about the procedure in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.

Everyone sweats, but it’s unlikely many people ever consider the social and economic impact of our bodies’ built-in air conditioning system. With summer’s hottest days likely still to come, Michael Heffernan, assistant professor of dermatology at the School of Medicine, helps St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Jeff Daniels take a closer look at this hot topic.

Glowing firefly light reveals interacting proteins.Radiologists at the School of Medicine have developed a first-of-its-kind noninvasive imaging technique that allows them to watch two proteins interacting in live animals. The technique genetically fuses proteins of interest with carefully cleaved sections of luciferase, the protein fireflies use to create light.

Jan Brunstrom demonstrates martial arts moves with cerebral palsy patient Emma Price.A comprehensive care plan involving sports, physical fitness and strength training is key to helping children with cerebral palsy grow into active adults, according to WUSTL pediatric neurologist Jan Brunstrom. Not only are athletic activities fun for children, but they can also reduce the need for traditional therapy.