School of Medicine

Richard D. Wetzel, Ph.D., first came to St. Louis to attend Concordia Seminary. But when he arrived at the seminary, he wasn’t dreaming of a small country church. He wanted to become a college professor. He comes from an extended family that includes nine college professors, and almost all of them taught at Lutheran colleges. […]

School of Medicine research shows the immune system can brand foreign proteins by chemically modifying their structure.

Research suggests inflammation is the cause of postoperative atrial fibrillation, giving doctors new options for preventative therapy.

Until now, there were no studies to determine if exercise has protective effects in older obese people, says principal investigator Dennis Villareal.

Two genes were found to affect sensitivity to alcohol intoxication, interest in alcohol consumption and risk of developmental brain damage from alcohol. More medical news

Photo by Robert BostonProject ARK members enjoy ice cream at the School of Medicine’s Employee Appreciation Day picnic at Hudlin Park.

Breast cancer in younger women is more often fatal than the disease in older women. A research team at the School of Medicine has begun a study designed to find genetic factors that may contribute to this difference and is calling for interested women to participate.

In these brain sections of neonatal mice exposed to ethanol, mice deficient in certain enzymes (right) exhibit much more neurodegeneration as indicated by the black material in the dying neurons.Can you blame your genes if you can’t handle your liquor? A new study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis may pave the way to finding out. Researchers found that the brain’s response to alcohol is partially under the influence of two genes. The genes, studied in both adult and newborn mice, were found to affect sensitivity to alcohol intoxication, interest in alcohol consumption and risk of developmental brain damage from alcohol.

Lung tumors from mutant mice show an abundance of abnormal, undifferentiated cells.Often mice are used to investigate cancer because their accelerated life spans allow discoveries to be made in a few months. But most strains of mice stay relatively free of lung tumors, even when exposed to heavy tobacco smoke, so there has been a shortage of models suitable for studying tobacco smoke-induced lung cancer. Now, cancer researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a strain of mice that readily develops lung tumors that have the same genetic mutations found in human lung tumors.

Medical experts suggest leaving fireworks to professionals.Fireworks can be beautiful against the night sky on July 4th, but a Washington University emergency medicine specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital says, for safety’s sake, parents and children should leave the fireworks to professionals. All fireworks are dangerous, especially to children. Typically, about two-thirds of all fireworks injuries occur in the days around the July 4th holiday.