Category: Research and Publications

Off-the-shelf CAR-natural killer cells could expand accessibility, reduce cost of cell-based cancer therapies

Jeffrey P. Henderson, MD, PhD, FIDSA, Professor of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, at WashU Division of Infectious Diseases, was recently published in ASM Journals with new insights into the development of a metabolome-based respiratory infection prognostic during COVID-19. Henderson highlights that the supportive environment at WashU Medicine played a crucial role in making this work possible, […]

In March, Samantha Adamson, MD, PhD; Sangeeta Adak, PhD; Max C. Petersen, MD, PhD; Dustin Higgins, DO; Larry D. Spears, PhD; Rong Mei Zhang, MD; Andrea Cedeno, MD; Alexis McKee, MD, CDCES; Aswathi Kumar, MD; Sudhir M. Singh, MD;  Fong-Fu Hsu, PhD; Janet B. McGill, MD, MA, FACP; and Clay F. Semenkovich, MD had their article titled “Decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum phospholipids in human skeletal muscle are associated with metabolic […]

The brightest minds solving brain cancer’s toughest challenges. Brain tumors are among the most challenging cancers to effectively treat. Depending on the tumor’s location, surgery can interfere with cognitive function, movement or language, and surgery often is not the solution because the tumor cells are invasive and intertwined with normal brain cells. Additionally, the brain’s […]

Clinical trial indicates safety, fewer cases of life-threatening graft-versus-host disease than expected Adding a new drug to standard care for stem cell transplant recipients may reduce a life-threatening side effect, according to an early-stage clinical trial conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The trial showed that patients being treated for various […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

A new research network initiative is being launched by Sunny Lin, PhD, MS, in the Division of General Medicine & Geriatrics – Research Unit.

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 […]

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.

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. […]

Gentle nasal spray vaccines against COVID, the flu and RSV are coming. They may work better than shots in the arm

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.

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 […]

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 […]

Congratulations to Division Chief of General Medicine & Geriatrics, Dr. Bradley Evanoff, on his journalistic publication.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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.

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 […]

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.

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). 

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.  

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 […]

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. 

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.”

Study in hamsters indicates vaccines targeting nose, mouth may be key to controlling spread of respiratory infections

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, 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 […]

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 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).

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 […]

St. Louis-based center unites scientists, public health experts, nonprofits to fight virus

“Heavy and healthy” can be a rare or common condition. But either way it may signal that some excess weight is just fine.

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.

Center will support new collaborations, infrastructure to accelerate precision medicine

“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 […]

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”.