Disabling gene defuses rheumatoid arthritis in mice

Scientists studying mice have identified a gene that allows immune cells known as neutrophils to protect themselves from the inflammatory chemicals they secrete. Researchers at the School of Medicine showed that knocking the gene out in mice prevented the development of an arthritis-like disorder by making the neutrophils victims of their own damaging secretions.

A jack-of-all-trades

In its Clinical and Translational Research Program, the Siteman Cancer Center runs about 350 clinical trials simultaneously, gathering health information from hundreds of patients. To set up each study and analyze the resulting data requires expertise in biostatistics. This keeps J. Philip Miller, the biostatistics core director at Siteman, very busy. He and his staff […]

Community outreach

Courtesy PhotoUniversity physical therapy students worked with St. Louis seniors to help them prepare for the Mature Mile.

Surviving your child’s adolescence

Adolescence can be a trying time for the whole family.Adolescence is characterized by dramatic physical changes as young people grow from childhood to physical maturity. During adolescence, we gain 50 percent of our adult weight and 20 percent of adult height while going through puberty and developing the ability to reproduce. With so many physical and emotional changes occurring at the same time, Washington University adolescent medicine researchers at St. Louis Children’s Hospital say it’s important for parents to be prepared for change. They also must be ready to listen to their children at any time, day or night, and do as much as possible to stay involved in their lives.

Researchers closing in on the genetic structure of autism and related disorders

Drawing by an autistic childA research team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified regions of DNA that may be related to risk for autism. The researchers are learning how autism is inherited, and to identify genetic factors, they’re studying families and looking for traits that normally aren’t considered autistic but have connections to autism risk. Several studies have demonstrated that autism has a strong genetic component. If one child in a family is autistic, there’s about a 10 percent chance that a sibling also will have autism.
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