School of Medicine

A St. Louis based company has developed a nanotechnology process to reduce artery-clogging plaque, which causes heart attacks. Drs. Samuel Wickline and Gregory Lanza made the discovery at the School of Medicine.

The Sonic hedgehog, discovered by School of Medicine researchers, could benefit patients suffering from ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarctions.

An education program reduced bloodstream infections associated with central venous catheters in critical care patients by 21 percent, School of Medicine researchers found.

Three Danforth Campus lectures exploring “A Higher Sense of Purpose” will be simulcast in School of Medicine facilities.

A transplant procedure by School of Medicine researchers cured rats’ diabetes without the need for risky immune-suppression drugs.

Children can protect their bones against the inevitable bumps that come along with being active by getting enough calcium in their diets. Calcium is essential for the growth and repair of bones and teeth in children. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 60 percent of boys and 85 percent of girls between the ages 9 to 18 don’t get enough calcium, which helps develop strong bones.

As part of Washington University’s celebration of the Danforth Campus dedication, and to underscore the important role of higher education in society, a lecture series will debut on October 3. The first presentation, “Medicine & Society,” will feature Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, M.D. He will be joined by leading St. Louis medical and health policy experts at 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 3, in Graham Chapel. The event is free and open to the public, and will conclude with a reception in the Women’s Building Lounge.

Many parents have no idea that their teenage children use drugs or alcohol. In fact, about half of the parents surveyed during a recent School of Medicine study didn’t realize that their children were using alcohol, marijuana or tobacco. Even fewer – 28 percent – are aware that their teens have used cocaine or other illicit drugs.

The flow of copper in the brain has a previously unrecognized role in cell death, learning and memory, according to research at the School of Medicine. The researchers’ findings suggest that copper and its transporter, a protein called Atp7a, are vital to human thinking.

Photo by Noah Devereau, Post-DispatchSleeping fruit flies pictured through a microscopeMuch like humans, fruit flies sleep at night and take midday naps. They also respond to stimulants like we do, and their young sleep a lot more than adults. A new study, using fruit flies as test subjects, shows that sleep is important for learning and memory and that the need for sleep is tied to memory genes.