School of Medicine

An investigational drug in clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis prevents a common, life-threatening side effect of stem cell transplants, finds new School of Medicine research. Studying mice, the researchers found the drug prevented what’s known as graft-versus-host disease.

James Lee, coordinator of international scholars and patients in the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine, died April 7 in St. Louis following a brief illness. He was 59. A memorial celebration will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in Connor Auditorium on the Medical Campus.

Washington University in St. Louis sociocultural anthropologist John R. Bowen and David H. Perlmutter, MD, dean of the School of Medicine, join the likes of President Barack Obama, actor Tom Hanks and Supreme Court Justice Sonia M. Sotomayor as newly elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Scientists from the School of Medicine have developed a new drug compound that shows promise as a future treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited, often painful neurodegenerative condition that affects nerves in the hands, arms, feet and legs.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering & Applied Science is redefining the notion of a wisdom tooth. The team is developing technology that could someday be used to detect early signs of certain diseases in high-risk patients.

A compound derived from immune cells treats psoriasis in mice and holds promise for other autoimmune diseases, according to a new study from the School of Medicine.

A new School of Medicine study shows that a kind of brain scan called functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) – which shows how brain regions interact – can reliably detect fundamental differences in how individual brains are wired.

Sarah C.R. Elgin and Samuel I. Achilefu will receive Washington University in St. Louis’ 2018 faculty achievement awards, Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced. Also, William A. Frazier III, professor emeritus, will be honored for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Studying mice, School of Medicine researchers found that a drug can deliver itch relief by targeting particular opioid receptors on neurons in the spinal cord. The drug is being tested for its anti-itch effects in the U.S., but until now scientists haven’t understood how it works.

A new automated text messaging service may curb opioid abuse and reduce the likelihood of relapse while also decreasing treatment costs, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Epharmix, a St. Louis-based digital health company.