School of Medicine

Scientists have designed a new drug compound that dials down inflammation, suggesting possible future uses against autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. The new inhibitor is more selective than other compounds, according to new School of Medicine research.

Sticky amyloid plaques play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. School of Medicine researchers have shown that an antibody targeting a minor part of the plaques – a protein known as APOE – can sweep away the damaging plaques, opening potential treatment options.

Researchers at the School of Medicine are getting a clearer picture of the connection between tau and amyloid beta, the two proteins at the heart of Alzheimer’s disease. Their insights may lead to new treatments.

Whether in person or through evidence-based decision tools, the School of Medicine’s Mary Politi, a health psychologist and associate professor of surgery, works with patients to empower them and help optimize their care.

For patients with difficult-to-treat, drug-resistant infections, seeing an infectious diseases specialist can be a lifesaver. Such patients experienced significantly lower mortality rates when treated by physicians specializing in infectious diseases, according to a School of Medicine study.

A new study shows that higher doses of radiation do not improve survival for many patients with prostate cancer, compared with the standard radiation treatment. The analysis, which included 104 radiation therapy oncology groups across North America, was led by researchers at the School of Medicine.

A service celebrating the life of William Landau, MD, professor emeritus of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will be at 1 p.m. April 7 in Moore Auditorium on the Medical Campus.

Despite public health campaigns aimed at reducing unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics, the drugs continue to be prescribed at startlingly high rates in outpatient settings such as clinics and physician offices, according to a new School of Medicine study.

A new School of Medicine study indicates that gut microbes influence the severity of parasitic worm infections in developing countries. The findings suggest that manipulating the gut’s microbial communities may offer protection.

A small clinical trial led by Richard S. Hotchkiss, MD, at the School of Medicine, shows that a drug that revs up the immune system holds promise in treating sepsis. The approach goes against the grain of earlier strategies that have relied on antibiotics and inflammatory medications to tamp down the immune system.