The Food and Drug Administration’The Food and Drug Administration’s approval in 2023 of lecanemab — a novel Alzheimer’s therapy shown in clinical trials to modestly slow disease progression — was met with enthusiasm by many in the field as it represented the first medication of its kind able to influence the disease. But side effects […]
Elizabeth Pollina, PhD, an assistant professor of developmental biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2025 MIND Prize from the Pershing Square Foundation. The MIND (Maximizing Innovation in Neuroscience Discovery) Prize funds research by early- to mid-career investigators who are making innovative and cutting-edge contributions to the understanding, prevention […]
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has named two new fellows from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The two faculty members join 30 of their WashU colleagues already in the organization, including seven who were inducted last year. Robi Mitra, PhD, the Alvin Goldfarb Distinguished Professor of Computational Biology in […]
As aging bodies decline, the brain loses the ability to cleanse itself of waste, a scenario that scientists think could be contributing to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report they have found a way around that problem by […]
For people who may not follow college basketball but want to share in the March tradition of cheering for a team as it tears through a tournament bracket, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has come through for you. STAT, an online publication focused on medicine, health and scientific discovery, has included two […]
Mouse study points to an effective alternative to opioids
For people living with rare and puzzling medical symptoms, getting a diagnosis is often a long and frustrating process punctuated by many tests and few results. The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) Diagnostic Center of Excellence was established in 2019 to solve the trickiest medical mysteries in Missouri and nearby […]
Studies have shown that Black children with serious illnesses are less likely than white children to obtain crucial genetic testing necessary to guide treatment decisions, but the reasons for this disparity have not been fully understood. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis focused on children with neurological conditions finds […]
In the past two years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved two novel Alzheimer’s therapies, based on data from clinical trials showing that both drugs slowed the progression of the disease. But while the approvals of lecanemab and donanemab, both antibody therapies that clear plaque-causing amyloid proteins from the brain, were greeted with enthusiasm […]
After surgery, pain is expected and often subsides within a few weeks. But for around 20% of patients, persistent pain may continue for months or even years after a procedure, impacting quality of life and putting patients at risk for opioid overuse. Symptoms vary widely in severity and in the type of pain experienced, making […]
Neuroscientist Juliet Mwirigi, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a Hanna H. Gray Fellow by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The fellowship supports promising early-career scientists as they transition to becoming principal investigators, by providing up to $1.5 million for up to eight years. Mwirigi’s research focuses […]
In a testament to the quality and national competitiveness of biomedical research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the school secured $683 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in federal fiscal year 2024 – a record high for WashU Medicine and an affirmation of its leadership in […]
The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research has announced that Alex Evers, MD, the Henry E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will receive the foundation’s 2024 Mentoring Excellence in Research Award. Recipients of the international award must be nominated by former mentees who are now in research, teaching or […]
Study pegs certain cellular activities to driving Alzheimer’s disease
Mouse study of therapeutic food for malnourished children reveals new gut bacterial enzyme’s wide-ranging functions
Device delivers naloxone upon sensing drop in respiration, animal study shows
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis celebrated rising investigators at the First R01 Celebration, marking a significant milestone for scientists embarking on their independent research careers. The event honored recipients of their first R01 research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research grants represent the NIH’s recognition of investigators’ rigorous, […]
Mouse study shows engineered immune cell therapy protects damaged neurons
Detailed blueprint of nerve cells’ dramatic changes could help identify ways to heal spinal cord damage
Study advances efforts to harness drug’s mind-altering power to treat mental illness
Howard Hughes Medical Institute honors duo’s research
Clinical trial for RVCL-S patients tests drug already approved as sickle cell disease treatment
Morby prize from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund honors discovery of T cells’ role in neurodegeneration
Abhinav Diwan, MD, a highly regarded cardiologist with expertise in the molecular underpinnings of cardiovascular disease, has been named the inaugural Charlie W. Shaeffer, MD, Professor of Cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Diwan was installed by David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol […]
Three physician-scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been newly elected to the Association of American Physicians. Membership in the organization is an honor bestowed on physicians who lead innovative scientific research to improve health care. They are Patricia I. Dickson, MD, Dineo Khabele, MD, and Gregory D. Longmore, MD. Dickson, the Centennial Professor […]
Study highlights need to develop therapies for this vulnerable population
Popular alternative to CPAP machines may not be appropriate for all
Alzheimer’s disease starts with a sticky protein called amyloid beta that builds up into plaques in the brain, setting off a chain of events that results in brain atrophy and cognitive decline. The new generation of Alzheimer’s drugs — the first proven to change the course of the disease — work by tagging amyloid for […]
Neurologist studies role of sleep in neurodegenerative diseases
Discovered route serves as passageway to clear fluid waste from brain
Dozens of noted scientists, philanthropists, and university, state and local leaders gathered Jan. 18 to celebrate the dedication of one of the world’s largest neuroscience research buildings, a gleaming state-of-the-art facility on the Washington University Medical Campus. They toured its sophisticated, newly christened labs; listened intently as Washington University scientists described the lifesaving work they […]
Honor named after mentor, former head of neurosurgery department
Brain cells communicate with fat tissue to produce cellular fuel, counteract effects of aging
Targeting cholesterol potentially could help treat Alzheimer’s, related dementias
Grant to support research on neurodegenerative disorders
FDA grants WashU-based technology ‘Breakthrough Device’ designation
Recognized for work on fluid biomarkers for Alzheimer’s
Membership is one of highest U.S. honors in health and medicine
One of 3 researchers honored for their research on how microbiomes function
This episode of ‘Show Me the Science’ focuses on approval of a drug that attacks a key protein that contributes to dementia from Alzheimer’s disease
Nearly every person with Down syndrome eventually develops Alzheimer’s disease, yet people with the syndrome routinely are excluded from Alzheimer’s clinical trials, as the cognitive assessment tools designed for the general population often are inappropriate for people with developmental disabilities. Consequently, nobody knows whether the new Alzheimer’s therapeutics hitting the market will work for people […]
Test results available in less than a minute
Two pathologies drive the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Early on, amyloid beta plaques lead the way, but around the time cognitive symptoms arise, tau tangles take over as the driving force and cognition steadily declines. Tracking the course of the disease in individual patients has been challenging because there’s been no easy way to measure […]
Grant will support research on brain plasticity
People in the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease — after brain changes have begun but before cognitive symptoms become apparent — harbor an assortment of bacteria in their intestines that differs from the gut bacteria of healthy people, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings, […]
Microbiome pioneer Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has won the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research. The Asturias awards, among the most prestigious honors in the Spanish-speaking world, are presented annually in eight categories. The awards are designed to recognize exceptional scientific, technical, cultural, […]
Diabetes researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered at least one reason insulin-secreting cells made from stem cells in the lab don’t work as well as natural cells. The discovery could help speed progress toward making insulin-secreting cells — called islet beta cells — more effective in the treatment of […]
Recognized for contributions to Alzheimer’s disease research
A new drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a rare, inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a paralyzing neurological disease. Known as tofersen, the drug has been shown to slow progression of the deadly disease. International clinical trials of tofersen, developed by the global biotechnology company Biogen Inc., […]
More research needed to determine if sleep medications prevent, delay Alzheimer’s