School of Medicine

There’s a telling slip of the tongue when Janet S. Rader, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and of genetics, lists the things she enjoys about her job. “I love taking care of patients,” Rader says, “I love doing research, I love being a mom … ” Rader pauses for a split-second to reorient […]

Neurons that have been infected with West Nile Virus.The cold winter is over, and spring rains and warmer weather mean that mosquito season is coming. Since 1999, summer mosquitoes have meant a risk for West Nile Virus. No one knows what 2004 will bring, but the season seems to have started early. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already is reporting the presence of the virus in mosquitoes, birds and other animals in nine states. There even is confirmation of a human case in Ohio. Infectious diseases specialists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis remind that the people at greatest risk are those 50 and older and those with weakened immune systems. Younger people also can acquire the infection, but their risk is significantly lower.

Immunofluorescent staining showing both active (right) and inactive (left) protein effects on cells.For a cell, interior design is more than just a matter of decorum or taste. The special placement of the “furnishings” contained within the confines of the cell’s walls — a phenomenon scientists call cellular polarity — can significantly affect essential, life-sustaining functions both during development and in mature organisms. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered a new link between two key proteins that regulate the placement of parts within cells. The researchers believe that a more complete understanding of how regulatory proteins control cellular polarity may help them treat patients with a wide range of disorders.

Lung cancer tumor to be treated with radiation.More than half of the lung cancer patients who receive radiation treatment for their illness develop a painful swelling and inflammation in the esophagus known as esophagitis. Although treating the lung cancer is the top priority for doctors, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis hope to lower the risk of this unpleasant side effect. They have quantified risk factors for esophagitis, linking it to the amount of radiation a patient’s esophagus receives and to simultaneous chemotherapy. The findings mean it may be possible to predict and potentially avoid esophagitis, according to Jeffrey D. Bradley, M.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology and lead author of a paper published recently in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.

A possibly important ally of the immune system that can help with the tricky task of separating friend from foe has been identified by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

People who severely restrict their caloric intake drastically reduce their risk of developing diabetes or clogged arteries, the precursor to a heart attack or stroke. In fact, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, some risk factors were so low they were comparable to those of people decades younger.

The medical school has a one-stop shop for professional editing and communications training called Academic Publishing Services.

BlankCarrine Blank, Ph.D. , assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences, has found that the currently accepted dates for the appearance of oxygen-producing bacteria and sulfur-producing bacteria on the early earth are not correct. She believes that these bacteria appeared on earth much later than is now believed.

Photo by Bob Boston / WUSTL PhotoWhat might it cost to get more patients off kidney dialysis?Of the 55,000 Americans waiting for kidney transplants, last year only 13,000 had the operation. Some 3,000 others died on the waiting list. Part of the problem involves obtaining donated organs. Currently only half of potential organ donors actually donate, but even if every eligible donor donated, many on the waiting list still wouldn’t be helped. Living donors are another potential source of organs, and the transplants from living donors also have the greatest chance of success. Encouraging more people to donate a kidney while they are alive could put a big dent in the number of people on the waiting list, but how can society encourage more of those people to donate? Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Minnesota set up a mathematical model to determine whether it might be cost effective to pay people for their kidneys. Potential ethical issues aside, the researchers determined that society could break even by paying as much as $90,000 to those willing to part with a kidney for money.

ICU personnel are instructed in proper placement of catheters to lower infection risk.Because patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are, by definition, in dire health, the consequences of even the slightest medical error can be devastating. Now two quality-improvement studies by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis suggest solutions to two of the most common and dangerous patient safety challenges in ICU patients: restoring normal phosphorus levels and preventing infections related to catheters. The research was a multi-disciplinary effort between physicians, nurses, dietitians and the rest of the surgical ICU team at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The quality-improvement studies led to dramatic improvements in patient health and safety, and the team believes these initiatives could improve patient health and safety at any ICU in the country.