School of Medicine

A set of promising new anticancer agents could have unforeseen risks in individuals with heart disease, suggests research at the School of Medicine. The anticancer drugs — which go by the strange name of hedgehog antagonists — interfere with a biochemical process that promotes growth in some cancer cells. But the researchers showed that interfering with this biochemical process in mice with heart disease led to further deterioration of cardiac function and ultimately death.

As if the emotional and financial impact of flood damage isn’t bad enough, floodwaters can also bring health problems. H. James Wedner, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the School of Medicine, says after the water recedes, damp homes and businesses are fertile grounds for mold growth, which can cause allergic reactions and asthmatic symptoms in sensitive people.

A group of steroids found in female mouse urine goes straight to the male mouse’s head, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. They found the compounds activate nerve cells in the male mouse’s nose with unprecedented effectiveness.

Nutrition researchers at the School of Medicine have identified five common genetic variations that increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of factors linked to heart disease and diabetes. Another variant they found appeared to protect against the condition.

Childhood lead poisoning has been a sizable problem in the city of St. Louis for many years due to deteriorating lead paint in older homes and rental units. In 2000, 31 percent of children tested in the city of St. Louis were poisoned, according to Daniel Berg, M.D., assistant professor of medicine. The situation has […]

Girls and young women who exercise regularly between the ages of 12-35 have a substantially lower risk of breast cancer before menopause compared with less active women, new research from the School of Medicine shows. The study of nearly 65,000 women found that those who were physically active had a 23 percent lower risk of breast cancer before menopause.

Changing the sugars attached to a hormone produced in the pituitary gland increased fertility levels in mice nearly 50 percent, School of Medicine research has found. The change appears to alter a reproductive thermostat, unveiling part of an intricate regulatory system that may eventually be used to enhance human fertility.

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) has recognized three researchers at the School of Medicine for their studies of infectious diseases. Instructor Jeffrey Henderson will receive the BWF 2008 Career Award for Medical Scientists. Assistant professors David Wang and Dong Yu will each receive a 2008 BWF Investigators in Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease award.

John William “Bill” Jermyn III, D.O., clinical instructor in the Division of Emergency Medicine, died suddenly Thursday, May 15, 2008.

Sharon Keathley, secretary III at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology who retired in 1993, died Saturday, March 8, 2008, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in St. Louis. She was 78.