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- Diabetes in mice cured rapidly using human stem cell strategy https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/human-stem-cell-strategy-rapidly-cures-diabetes-in-mice/ 74 comments
- Immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease shows promise in mouse study: researchers showed that activating immune cells called microglia with an antibody reduces amyloid plaques in the brain and mitigates behavioral abnormalities in mice with Alzheimer’s-like disease. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/immunotherapy-for-alzheimers-disease-shows-promise-in-mouse-study/ 4 comments science
- A new study found that Alzheimer’s-like tau deposits in the form of cholesterol known as cholesteryl esters builds up in the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s-like disease, and that clearing out the cholesteryl esters with an experimental drug helps prevent brain damage and behavioral changes. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/lowering-a-form-of-brain-cholesterol-reduces-alzheimers-like-damage-in-mice/ 50 comments science
- Inappropriate antibiotics for nonhospitalized kids cost US at least $74 million. Such prescriptions can cause complications including diarrhea, rashes. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/inappropriate-antibiotics-nonhospitalized-kids-cost-us-74-million/ 2 comments science
- Blood test for Alzheimer’s. When blood amyloid levels were combined with another major Alzheimer's risk factor—the presence of the genetic variant APOE4—the accuracy of the blood test was 88% when compared to brain imaging and 93% when compared to spinal tap. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/blood-test-for-alzheimers-highly-accurate-in-large-international-study/ 37 comments science
- Older adults who sleep short or long experienced greater cognitive decline than those who sleep a moderate amount, even when the effects of early Alzheimer’s disease were taken into account. Cognitive scores declined for the groups that slept less than 4.5 or more than 6.5 hours per night https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/hit-the-sleep-sweet-spot-to-keep-brain-sharp/ 11 comments science
- Researcher implant genetically-engineered cells that release drugs automatically to treat rheumatoid arthritis - living implant has cells that automatically sense flares and release a biologic drug in response https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/rheumatoid-arthritis-treated-with-implanted-smart-cells-that-release-drug/ 133 comments science
- Among COVID-19 survivors, an increased risk of death, serious illness | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/among-covid-19-survivors-an-increased-risk-of-death-serious-illness/ 19 comments science
- COVID-19 can kill heart muscle cells, interfere with contraction https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/covid-19-can-kill-heart-muscle-cells-interfere-with-contraction/ 36 comments science
- Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a relatively simple and rapid blood test can predict -- within a day of a hospital admission -- which patients with COVID-19 are at highest risk of severe complications or death. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/rapid-blood-test-identifies-covid-19-patients-at-high-risk-of-severe-disease/ 12 comments science
- Scientists have developed a vaccine that targets the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can be given in one dose via the nose and is effective in preventing infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus. Effective in the nose and respiratory tract, it prevented the infection from taking hold in the body. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/nasal-vaccine-against-covid-19-prevents-infection-in-mice/ 711 comments science
- Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have created a virus in the lab that infects cells and interacts with antibodies just like the COVID-19 virus, but lacks the ability to cause severe disease. It is safer to work with, can aid efforts to find drugs, vaccines https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/lab-made-virus-mimics-covid-19-virus/ 4 comments science
- An experimental drug for a rare, inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has shown promise in a phase 1/phase 2 clinical trial. The trial indicated that the experimental drug lowers levels of a disease-causing protein in people with a type of ALS, caused by mutations in the gene SOD1. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/experimental-drug-shows-early-promise-against-inherited-form-of-als-trial-results-indicate/ 57 comments science
- Study unveils new way to starve tumors to death https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/study-unveils-new-way-starve-tumors-death/ 3 comments science
- Stem cells to treat diabetes - short term success in mice https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/human-stem-cell-strategy-rapidly-cures-diabetes-in-mice/ 5 comments science
- In a new study, investigational drugs blocked bone loss in mice receiving chemotherapy, providing insight into a potential avenue for improving outcomes in cancerous individuals receiving chemotherapy treatment https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/investigational-drugs-block-bone-loss-in-mice-receiving-chemotherapy/ 3 comments science
- Extracellular Vesicle-Contained eNAMPT Delays Aging and Extends Lifespan in Mice https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/young-mouse-blood-delays-aging-in-older-mice/ 5 comments science
- Immune-boosting compound makes immunotherapy effective against pancreatic cancer – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/immune-boosting-compound-makes-immunotherapy-effective-against-pancreatic-cancer/ 6 comments science
- Aging delayed in older mice given blood component from young mice, according to a new study published this week, which found that supplementing older mice with eNAMPT, a protein obtained from younger mice, appears to slow decline in health and extend the life spans of older mice by about 16%. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/young-mouse-blood-delays-aging-in-older-mice/ 19 comments science
- Extended PPI use shows link to kidney/heart disease and some cancers https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/popular-heartburn-drugs-linked-to-fatal-heart-disease-chronic-kidney-disease-stomach-cancer/?fbclid=iwar21cnhbvoiulseub4ke4tb12cgulpn8lrxvzyqmogjjm9ornwqpkfw4hem 11 comments science
- Study links long-term use of proton pump inhibitors(brand names Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix) to higher risk of fatal cases of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and upper gastrointestinal cancer. The risk increases with duration of use, even if the drugs are taken at low doses. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/popular-heartburn-drugs-linked-to-fatal-heart-disease-chronic-kidney-disease-stomach-cancer/ 7 comments science
- Obese mouse mothers trigger heart problems in offspring, Effects of high-fat, high-sugar diet on heart passed down three generations. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/obese-mouse-mothers-trigger-heart-problems-in-offspring/ 4 comments science
- Women’s brains appear three years younger than men’s, May explain why women more likely to stay mentally sharp in later years. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/womens-brains-appear-three-years-younger-than-mens/ 36 comments science
- Brain, muscle cells found lurking in kidney organoids grown in lab https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/brain-muscle-cells-found-lurking-in-kidney-organoids-grown-in-lab/ 10 comments nottheonion
- Study suggest that the cerebellum has a hand in every aspect of higher brain functions — not just movement, but attention, thinking, planning and decision-making. As it serves as a quality check on movement, it also checks thoughts as well -- smoothing them out, correcting them, perfecting things. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/minds-quality-control-center-found-in-long-ignored-brain-area/ 45 comments science
- Drinking a daily glass of wine for health reasons may not be so healthy after all, suggests a new study. Consuming 1 to 2 drinks 4 or more times per week, deemed healthy by current guidelines, increases the risk of premature death by 20%, compared with drinking 3 times a week or less (n>400,000). https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/even-light-drinking-increases-risk-of-death/ 8 comments science
- A new study found that patients on a new drug for multiple sclerosis , or MS, was able to reduce the rate of brain shrinkage in a Phase 2 clinical trial, which may be key to slowing the onset of symptoms https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/experimental-drug-shows-promise-as-multiple-sclerosis-treatment/ 4 comments science
- Alzheimer’s disease may be predicted by using a non-invasive eye exam to detect retinal thinning before any symptoms appear, finds a new study in JAMA Ophthalmology. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/alzheimers-one-day-may-be-predicted-during-eye-exam/ 5 comments science
- Alzheimer’s disease may be predicted by retinal thinning using a non-invasive eye exam as a screening tool before any symptoms appear, finds a new study in JAMA Ophthalmology. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/alzheimers-one-day-may-be-predicted-during-eye-exam/ 6 comments science
- Study finds that inducing labor at 39 weeks reduces likelihood of C-sections, with no increased risks to newborns. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/inducing-labor-at-39-weeks-reduces-likelihood-of-c-sections/ 79 comments science
- Studying young children at risk for depression, researchers found kids with perfectionist tendencies and excessive self-control were twice as likely to develop OCD by their teens. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/perfectionism-in-young-children-may-indicate-ocd-risk/ 9 comments science
- Air pollution contributed to 14% of all new diabetes cases globally in 2016. The overall risk of pollution-related diabetes is tilted more toward lower-income countries such as India that lack the resources for environmental mitigation systems and clean-air policies. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/air-pollution-contributes-significantly-to-diabetes-globally/ 41 comments science
- In autism, too many brain connections may be at root of condition. A defective gene linked to autism influences how neurons connect and communicate with each other in the brain. Rodents that lack the gene form too many connections between brain neurons and have difficulty learning. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/in-autism-too-many-brain-connections-may-be-at-root-of-condition/ 163 comments science
- Researchers develop algorithm that checks patients’ medical histories to find signs of increased risk for developing Parkinson’s disease and alerts doctors to evaluate patients at greater risk. Before symptoms become pronounced, there is no reliable way to identify who will develop the disease. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/medical-history-can-point-earlier-parkinsons-disease-diagnosis/ 3 comments science
- Human skin cells transformed directly into motor neurons https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/scientists-discover-new-way-transform-human-skin-cells-directly-motor-neurons/ 4 comments science
- Popular heartburn drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been linked to a variety of health problems, including serious kidney damage, bone fractures, and dementia. Now, a new study shows that longtime use of the drugs also is associated with an increased risk of death. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/popular-heartburn-drugs-linked-higher-death-risk/ 743 comments science
- Ketamine, believed to reduce postoperative pain and delirium, does neither, in a study that shows that ketamine may spur hallucinations, nightmares in older patients published in The Lancet. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/drug-believed-reduce-postoperative-pain-delirium-neither/ 403 comments science
- Brain hardwired to respond to others’ itching https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/brain-hardwired-to-respond-to-others-itching/ 26 comments science
- Many smokers with serious mental illness want to kick habit | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/many-smokers-serious-mental-illness-want-kick-habit/ 9 comments science
- Study finds that welders exposed to airborne manganese at estimated levels below federal occupational safety standards exhibit neurological problems similar to Parkinson’s disease. The more they are exposed to manganese-containing welding fumes, the faster the workers’ signs and symptoms worsen. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/low-levels-manganese-welding-fumes-cause-neurological-problems/ 1232 comments science