More than 6 million adults in the U.S. have heart failure, a condition that develops when the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the demands of the body. While lifestyle changes and treatment can slow heart failure, there’s no cure. One reason is that heart failure and other heart conditions including heart attacks lead heart […]
Category: Research
Vaccine Shows Promise Against Aggressive Breast Cancer (Links to an external site)
A small clinical trial shows promising results for patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received an investigational vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of tumors. Conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis with a therapy designed by Washington University researchers, the trial is the first to report results for this type of vaccine — known […]
Polypill proposed to change the heart failure treatment paradigm
A polypill is suggested containing all 4 classes of guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure Justin Chen, MD, First Year Cardiology Fellow, First Author along with Anubha Agarwal, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Co-Director, Program in Global Cardiovascular Health, WashU Medicine Cardiovascular Division, Senior Author, have published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The […]
Complexity of tumors revealed in 3D (Links to an external site)
A new analysis led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed detailed 3D maps of the internal structures of multiple tumor types. These cancer atlases reveal how different tumor cells — and the cells of a tumor’s surrounding environment — are organized, in 3D, and how that organization changes […]
New Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research launches with focus on Implementation Science (Links to an external site)
The Center for Dissemination and Implementation announces the launch of a new Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research (D-CFAR) in Missouri, which brings together researchers from across the translational spectrum to address the HIV epidemic. This D-CFAR is part of a national network of 20 NIH-funded centers, and it is the first of its kind […]
Age-Friendly Health Systems Research Initiative led by Sunny Lin, PhD, MS (Links to an external site)
A new research network initiative is being launched by Sunny Lin, PhD, MS, in the Division of General Medicine & Geriatrics – Research Unit.
NCI director delivers Korsmeyer lecture (Links to an external site)
W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, the director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), delivered the 19th annual Stanley J. Korsmeyer Memorial Lectureship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis on Thursday, Oct. 17. Korsmeyer was a former WashU Medicine medical oncologist and researcher whose groundbreaking discoveries opened up […]
Nephrology Researcher Expands Kidney Disease Study Through Collaborative Work at WashU
Gewin’s team aims to find ways to promote kidney repair and prevent the progression of fibrosis. Dr. Leslie Gewin, a nephrologist and researcher, has been steadily expanding her research into kidney disease since moving from Vanderbilt to WashU Medicine three years ago. Leveraging the university’s extensive resources and collaborative environment, Gewin’s work focuses on the […]
Immunotherapy blocks scarring, improves heart function in mice with heart failure (Links to an external site)
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that a type of immunotherapy — similar to that approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat inflammatory conditions such as arthritis — also may be an effective treatment strategy for heart failure.
Infectious Diseases Division Co-Director and Pallavi Chandra, PhD, published in Autophagy
Host De-ubiquitinase USP8 promotes Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection Pallavi Chandra, PhD, an Instructor of Medicine in the Philips laboratory at WashU Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases, along with Jennifer A. Philips, MD, PhD, Theodore and Bertha Bryan Professor, Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology; Co-director, Infectious Diseases Division, recently co-authored a Autophagy publication, on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and USP8. […]
New Nasal Vaccines Offer Better Protection from COVID and Flu—No Needle Needed (Links to an external site)
Gentle nasal spray vaccines against COVID, the flu and RSV are coming. They may work better than shots in the arm
Are patients with Alport Syndrome at Increased Risk of Aortic Aneurysms? ASF Funds Dr. Carmen Halabi and Jeffrey Miner to Find Out (Links to an external site)
Congratulations to Carmen Halabi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Nephrology, and collaborator Jeffrey Miner, PhD, FASN, Eduardo and Judith Slatopolsky Professor of Medicine in Nephrology, who were awarded an Alport Syndrome Foundation (ASF) grant to fund research into the presence of aortic aneurysms in Alport mice.
New genomic surveillance tools could help efforts to eliminate damaging parasitic infections (Links to an external site)
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new genomic-based approach that could aid global efforts to eliminate lymphatic filariasis, a parasitic roundworm infection spread by mosquitoes.
Type 1 diabetes treatment may stem from outsmarting immune cells (Links to an external site)
Type 1 diabetes — one of the most common chronic diseases in children — destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, requiring lifelong daily management. The autoimmune disease affects up to 10% of people with diabetes worldwide.
Strategy evaluated for boosting exercise capacity in heart failure patients (Links to an external site)
A component of beet juice — inorganic nitrate — improves muscle power and exercise capacity in athletes and in patients with heart failure, according to earlier research by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Infectious Diseases Division Co-Director Philips Published in Nature Microbiology
Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence lipid PDIM inhibits autophagy in mice Jennifer A. Philips, MD, PhD, Theodore and Bertha Bryan Professor, Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology; Co-director, Infectious Diseases Division, recently co-authored a Nature Microbiology publication, with Ekansh Mittal, PhD, Instructor of Medicine, WashU Division of Infectious Diseases, on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Dr. Philips is the principal investigator […]
Podany Metastatic Breast Cancer work spotlighted in JNCCN360
Genomic Alterations and Targeted Treatment by Race in Metastatic Breast Cancer Emily Podany, MD, Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program, Fellow Wellness Leader, WashU Division of Oncology, was recently spotlighted in JNCCN360 for her work on Genomic Alterations and Targeted Treatment by Race in Metastatic Breast Cancer. The study used a multi-institution consortium database that includes both clinical […]
Evanoff authors journalistic paper about work-related musculoskeletal disorders (Links to an external site)
Congratulations to Division Chief of General Medicine & Geriatrics, Dr. Bradley Evanoff, on his journalistic publication.
Second Annual Washington University Glomerular Disease Symposium: An Update on Disease Mechanisms and Management a Success (Links to an external site)
Kudos to everyone who helped make the 2nd Annual Glomerular Disease Symposium: An Update on Disease Mechanisms and Management, held September 6 – 7, 2024, a success. The event was organized and chaired by WashU Nephrology’s Tingting Li, MD, MSCI, with the support of the planning committee members Michelle Bloom, BSN, RN, Reena Gurung, MD, Nidia Messias, MD, and Morgan Schoer, MD, and Continuing Medical […]
Odeny publication in Science Direct offers new cancer insights
Crucial intersection of oncology and HIV research, with insights for clinical practice Thomas A. Odeny, MD, MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at WashU Division of Medical Oncology, leads the Global Oncology Initiative. He recently was published in Science Direct with new insights into HIV and cancer research. Dr. Odeny’s research focuses on applying implementation […]
WashU Fellow Published in Annual Reviews
Giulia Petrone, MD, WashU Hematology/Oncology Fellow, study, “Clinical and Therapeutic Implications of Clonal Hematopoisis” was recently published in Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, Volume 25, 2024. Clonal Hematopoiesis (CH) is a condition in which hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells acquire the same somatic mutations, leading to the expansion of these mutated cells. The […]
The Rural Cardiovascular Health Initiative (Links to an external site)
The Rural Cardiovascular Health Initiative (RCHI) is a collaboration between the American College of Cardiology and the JF Maddox Foundation, to improve cardiovascular outcomes in the rural communities of New Mexico.
Study shows novel low-dose 3-in-1 blood pressure pill outperforms standard care
Over 80% of patients achieved control within a month, sustained at six months A new study, that Mark Huffman, MD, MPH, William Bowen Professor of Medicine, Co-Director, Global Health Center, WashU Cardiovascular Division, who is a co-author, shows that a treatment plan containing low doses of three antihypertensive drugs in a single pill – known […]
Markov, Jasim and Powers Carson discuss a unique case of elevated parathyroid hormone (Links to an external site)
In March, Alexander M. Markov, MD; Sina Jasim, MD, MPH; and Jennifer Powers Carson, PhD had their article titled “A Puzzling Case of Elevated Parathyroid Hormone,” published by The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine.
Covid tied to higher risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other conditions, with the unvaccinated most affected, study shows (Links to an external site)
Having a severe case of Covid-19 appears to be linked with an increased risk of subsequent mental illness, including depression and anxiety disorders, and a new study finds that the association is strongest among people who were not vaccinated against the disease.
Ferraro lab publishes Acute Myeloid Leukemiain Research in AACR
The Ferraro Lab led by Francesca Ferraro, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, WashU Division of Oncology has recently made significant contribution in understanding the role of MYC mutations in the development of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Dr. Ferraro’s lab publication, titled “Missense Mutations in Myc Box I Influence Nucleocytoplasmic Transport to Promote Leukemogenesis,” is […]
Javaheri Featured in 50th Anniversary edition of Cell (Links to an external site)
Assistant Professor of Medicine Dr. Ali Javaheri was featured in an article titled “Translating metabolic and cardiovascular research into effective treatments: What’s next?” In a special 50th Anniversary edition of the journal Cell.
Remote monitoring, AI to play key roles in the future of cardiology (Links to an external site)
Healthcare innovation is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, and cardiology is on the brink of transformative change using new forms of remote monitoring and artificial intelligence (AI).
Study reveals how brain cancer evolves in response to treatment (Links to an external site)
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown how brain tumors evolve in response to therapy, helping describe how such cancers develop treatment resistance that leads to the high mortality rate characteristic of this cancer. Only 5% of patients survive five years after diagnosis with the most aggressive brain cancers.
DNA fragments help detect kidney organ rejection (Links to an external site)
Raja Dandamudi, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics, Vikas Dharnidharka, MD, a professor of pediatrics, and Tarek Alhamad, MD, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, contributed to a large study that identified a novel way of detecting signs of organ rejection. The international team found that DNA shed from dying […]
Eliminating senescent cells could help treat breast, pancreatic cancers (Links to an external site)
Two studies from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis focused on breast cancer and pancreatic cancer suggest that specific types of senescent cells — cells that have stopped dividing and drive inflammation — may play important roles in suppressing the immune system and allowing such tumors to grow unchecked.
Division Chief, Mark Williams, MD, Featured on Cover of ‘The Hospitalist’ Magazine (Links to an external site)
The Society of Hospital Medicine has several publications, including their monthly newsletter, ‘The Hospitalist.’ For the month of August 2024, Dr. Mark Williams was featured on the cover of the newsletter, and was interviewed for an article titled, “Managing the Long-term Physical Effects of Being a Hospitalist.”
Nasal COVID-19 vaccine halts transmission (Links to an external site)
Study in hamsters indicates vaccines targeting nose, mouth may be key to controlling spread of respiratory infections
Meet the Researcher: Marlie Maestas (Links to an external site)
Marlie Maestas, a fifth-year graduate student in the Millman Lab, recently published her first first-authorship in Nature Communications. The study, titled Identification of unique cell type responses in pancreatic islets to stress, detailed the responses of different pancreatic islet cell types to endoplasmic reticulum and inflammatory stress.
Anuja Java Published in Science Direct
Anuja Java, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Director, Kidney Transplant John Cochran VA Medical Center, Division of Nephrology, Washington University School of Medicine recently had two articles published in Science Direct. Thrombotic Microangiopathies and the Kidney Both articles delve into defining current understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Thrombotic Microangiopathies (TMAs). TMA is a multisystem […]
Long COVID puzzle pieces are falling into place – the picture is unsettling (Links to an external site)
Since 2020, the condition known as long COVID-19 has become a widespread disability affecting the health and quality of life of millions of people across the globe and costing economies billions of dollars in reduced productivity of employees and an overall drop in the work force.
Heme-Onc Fellow Cochran published in Leukemia & Lymphoma
Pretransplant desensitization of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies with plasmapheresis and immunoglobulin produces equivalent outcomes to patients with no donor specific antibodies in haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplant Hunter Cassidy Cochran, MD, Hematology-Oncology Fellow, was recently published in Leukemia & Lymphoma. In many hematologic malignancies, hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) is the only curative option. The likelihood of finding […]
DOLF Initiating a Follow Up Study on Moxidectin plus Albendazole (MoxA) Combination Treatment for Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis in Cote d’Ivoire (Links to an external site)
DOLF investigators are beginning a follow-up study on the efficacy of a new combination treatment for lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis in the Akoupé district of Côte d’Ivoire. This study began July 4th and builds upon a large-scale community survey sponsored by Medicines Development for Global Health (MDGH).
DOM researchers publish in Science Immunology
Researchers in the Department of Medicine reveal new ways that human natural killer (NK) cells are rewired by signals through cytokine receptors to generate a memory-like program. In a report published in Science Immunology, co-first authors Jennifer Foltz, PhD, and Jennifer Tran build on prior work from senior author Todd Fehniger, MD, PhD, WashU Division […]
Midwest Center for AIDS Research to help end regional HIV epidemic (Links to an external site)
St. Louis-based center unites scientists, public health experts, nonprofits to fight virus
People who are fat and healthy may hold keys to understanding obesity (Links to an external site)
“Heavy and healthy” can be a rare or common condition. But either way it may signal that some excess weight is just fine.
Cresci Vice-Chair of AHA Statement in Circulation (Links to an external site)
Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Director of the Wash U Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center, Dr. Sharon Cresci is Vice-Chair on a new statement published this week in the journal Circulation on behalf of the American Heart Association.
WashU Medicine launches Center for Translational Bioinformatics (Links to an external site)
Center will support new collaborations, infrastructure to accelerate precision medicine
Kulkarni Editorial Published in Journal of Clinical Investigation
“Hexamerization: explaining the original sin of IgG-mediated complement activation in acute lung injury” Hrishikesh S Kulkarni, MD, MSCI, Associate Professor of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology; Associate Program Director for Research, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, recently was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI). The editorial in the Journal of Clinical Investigation […]
First-Year Fellow Susrutha Puthanmadhom Narayanan Presents Her Research at ASCO 2024 (Links to an external site)
Congratulations to first-year fellow Susrutha Puthanmadhom Narayanan, MBBS, who presented her research at ASCO 2024 this past weekend entitled, “Transcriptomic Analysis of cAMP/PKA/CREB Signaling in Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer”.
Hughes Lab publication highlighted in Science Snapshot
Three dimensional images of human pancreatic islet cells provide an unprecedented view of the enigmatic primary cilia Jing Hughes, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research recent paper, “Scanning electron microscopy of human islet cilia” was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and follow-up article, “Immuno-scanning […]
Artificial Intelligence Emerging as a Part of Medical Practice (Links to an external site)
Artificial intelligence—the next wave of technology— is emerging in many ways in medical practices and health systems in the St. Louis area.
$6.2 million to help develop gene therapy for HIV (Links to an external site)
Genetically engineered B cells could produce super-antibodies to HIV
Outcomes of Hematology/Oncology Clinical Trials Development Program Published by Co-Chief Fellow Christine Auberle (Links to an external site)
“Integration of Clinical Trial Development in Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Training” describes the Clinical Trial Development Program initiated at Washington University School of Medicine in 2002. This program was developed as a hands-on learning experience for Hematology-Oncology fellow in the design, implementation and publication of clinical trials and is led by Dr. Lee Ratner, Associate Program Director […]
Risk of death from COVID-19 lessens, but infection still can cause issues 3 years later (Links to an external site)
Study also shows that patients hospitalized within 30 days after infection face 29% higher death risk in 3rd year compared with those not infected