Match game

Photo by Robert BostonThe University’s fourth-year medical students learned March 15 where they will do their residencies.

Can an omega-3 fatty acid slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease?

Eating fish may help reduce the risk for dementia.Nutritionists have long endorsed fish as part of a heart-healthy diet, and now some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids found in the oil of certain fish may also benefit the brain by lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In order to test whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, can impact the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at the School of Medicine and Saint Louis University School of Medicine will evaluate DHA in a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Nanoparticles can track cells deep within living organisms

This image combines three MRI scans of a mouse: one is a typical scan showing internal organs, and the second two are scans tuned to the frequency of fluorine-laced nanoparticles (colored red and green).Nanoparticles developed by Washington University scientists in the Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence could soon allow researchers and physicians to directly track cells used in medical treatments using unique signatures from the ingested nanoparticle beacons. The nanoparticles contain a compound that can be detected by MRI scanners, and the researchers believe nanoparticle-labeled cells could be used to evaluate cancerous tumors and many medical therapies.
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