$12 million grant funds studies of role of genes in autism, similar diagnoses

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received an $11.85 million grant to create a resource for the WashU and national research communities to study the growing number of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders known to be caused by a single gene mutation. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health of […]

Research untangles role of stress granules in neurodegenerative disease

Scientists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis report mechanistic insights into the role of biomolecular condensation in the development of neurodegenerative disease. The collaborative research, published in Molecular Cell, focused on the interactions that drive the formation of condensates versus the formation of amyloid fibrils and how these relate to […]

Sleep aid blocks neurodegeneration in mice

A common sleep aid restores healthier sleep patterns and protects mice from the brain damage seen in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The drug, lemborexant, prevents the harmful buildup of an abnormal form of a protein called tau in the brain, […]

Myosin makes the moves to keep cell processes humming along

Biomolecular condensates are distinct molecular communities made of DNA, RNA and proteins that “condense” molecules to key locations inside cells. Intense efforts have focused on uncovering the numerous ways in which condensation is controlled, modulated and regulated inside cells. In research published May 23 in Science Advances, biomedical scientists at Washington University in St. Louis and […]

Drug to slow Alzheimer’s well tolerated outside of clinical trial setting

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 […]

Bender and Colonna named to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Two Washington University in St. Louis faculty are among nearly 250 newly elected members of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation’s most prestigious honorary societies. They are physicist Carl Bender, in Arts & Sciences, and immunologist Marco Colonna, at the School of Medicine. Founded in 1780, the academy honors exceptional […]

Highly accurate blood test diagnoses Alzheimer’s disease, measures extent of dementia

A newly developed blood test for Alzheimer’s disease not only aids in the diagnosis of the neurodegenerative condition but also indicates how far it has progressed, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Lund University in Sweden. Several blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease are already clinically […]

Seven WashU faculty elected to AAAS

Seven faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis are among the 471 new fellows selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the most distinct honors in the scientific community. AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. New Fellows will […]

Grant supports PET scans to track inflammation in Parkinson’s disease

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is supporting a WashU Medicine effort to track neuroinflammation in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease. The five-year $3 million grant will allow co-principal investigators Zhude (Will) Tu, PhD, a professor of radiology, and Joel S. Perlmutter, MD, a professor of neurology and of radiology, to use radiotracers to track […]

Boosting brain’s waste removal system improves memory in old mice

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 […]

Jansky/Bander Family Fund supports movement disorders fellowships, brain bank

The Jansky/Bander Family Fund, a generous commitment of $1.1 million over five years, has been established to advance critical initiatives within the Section of Movement Disorders in the Department of Neurology at WashU Medicine. This significant financial contribution is earmarked for two primary functions under the direction of Joel S. Perlmutter, MD: funding fellowships and supporting […]

A closer look at biomolecular ‘Silly Putty’

Biomolecular condensates are shifting blobs in our cells that organize cellular matter. They are distinct molecular communities made of DNA, RNA and proteins that “condense” molecules to key locations, yet they frequently defy description. Partly this is because they are so small, they cannot be measured using traditional microscopes. “These blobs were once described as […]

$4.5 million supports pathbreaking neuroimmunology research

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received a three-year $4.5 million grant from the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation, aimed at advancing research on neuroimmunology and neurodegeneration with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Administered by WashU Medicine’s Brain Immunology & Glia (BIG) Center, the Carol and Gene […]

Two WashU Medicine projects compete in STAT Madness tournament

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 […]

Next-gen Alzheimer’s drugs extend independent living by months

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 […]

Patient defies genetic fate to avoid Alzheimer’s

Remarkably, Doug Whitney, 75, has escaped genetic destiny. Like many members of his family, Whitney inherited a rare genetic mutation that all but guarantees he would develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. But Whitney, whose relatives first showed symptoms of cognitive decline in their early 50s, remains mentally sharp with no signs of the devastating disease, and […]

‘Here and Next’ Seed Grants awarded

Washington University in St. Louis’ Research Development Office recently awarded its latest batch of “Here and Next” Seed Grants. The winning research teams are interdisciplinary and focus on five key elements of the university’s strategic plan: public health, global health, environmental research, digital transformation and research that impacts the St. Louis community. There are three […]

TRIADS announces new round of seed grants

The Transdisciplinary Institute in Applied Data Sciences (TRIADS) has announced its newest crop of seed grant recipients, with eight teams of researchers receiving funding. Featuring faculty from four different WashU schools (Arts & Sciences, Brown School, McKelvey School of Engineering, and the School of Medicine), these projects leverage data science to address pressing societal issues. Each research […]

NIH grant funds study of cerebral small vessel disease

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been awarded $7.5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate a form of dementia caused by cerebral small vessel disease, the second-leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The grant funds the Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID) Center, […]

Grant will fund development of vaccines to prevent dementia

Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia are devastating disorders that emerge following the buildup of misfolded proteins in the brain. The newest generation of Alzheimer’s therapeutics targets accumulations of the protein amyloid beta with engineered antibodies, but the results have been underwhelming, with some adverse effects, not to mention using engineered antibodies can be prohibitively expensive. […]

The potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy

More than half a century after the U.S. government deemed psychedelic drugs to be of “no medical use,” scientists have begun re-evaluating that dismissive assessment with the tools of modern science. Dozens of clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapies for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions are underway or planned. So far, the results […]

Yoo receives grant from Hereditary Disease Foundation

Andrew Yoo, PhD, a professor of developmental biology at WashU Medicine, has received the 2024 Transformative Research Award, a two-year $1 million grant from the Hereditary Disease Foundation. Yoo and his collaborator, Osama Al Dalahmah, MD, PhD, of Columbia University, will use this support to pursue potential therapeutics for Huntington’s disease, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder […]

Zhao, Musiek receive NIH grant to study neurodegenerative diseases

Guoyan Zhao, PhD, an assistant professor of genetics and of neurology, and Erik Musiek, MD, PhD, the Charlotte & Paul Hagemann Professor of Neurology, both of WashU Medicine, have received a $433,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study brain cells called astrocytes and their roles […]

Board grants faculty tenure

At the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees meeting Sept. 27, numerous faculty members were granted tenure, effective that day. Granting of tenure Kirsten Gilbert Alberts, PhD as an associate professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine; Robert A. Campbell, PhD as an associate professor of emergency medicine at WashU Medicine; Carmen M. Halabi, MD, PhD as […]

Pappu named American Physical Society fellow

Rohit V. Pappu, PhD, the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of the Center for Biomolecular Condensates at Washington University in St. Louis, has been selected as an American Physical Society Fellow. Pappu was selected for his innovative and fundamental studies regarding intrinsically disordered proteins and phase transitioning behaviors using polymer […]

Link between childhood adverse events, Alzheimer’s disease to be studied

Brian A. Gordon, PhD, an assistant professor of radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a principal investigator in the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR)’s Neuroimaging Labs Research Center, was selected for the 2024 New Investigator Award from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center and the Alzheimer’s Association. This award is given […]

The brain has a waste removal system and scientists are figuring out how it works

The brain needs to flush out waste products to stay healthy and fend off conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists are beginning to understand how the the brain’s waste removal system works. [Transcript] A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: Turns out the brain needs regular cleaning. Otherwise, it gets clogged up with waste products, including some associated with diseases […]

Gut bacteria boost immune response to fight tumors

Roughly one in five cancer patients benefits from immunotherapy – a treatment that harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. Such an approach to beating cancer has seen significant success in lung cancer and melanoma, among others. Optimistic about its potential, researchers are exploring strategies to improve immunotherapy for cancers that don’t respond well to […]

Some brain tumors may be linked to head injury, mouse study suggests

A study in mice by researchers at the School of Medicine indicates that brain injury can lead to brain tumors in susceptible individuals. For this study, they used mice that model people with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that causes brain tumors. The study showed that molecules released by injured neurons set off […]

Diwan named inaugural Shaeffer professor

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 […]

Immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease shows promise in mouse study

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 […]

WashU engineers manage a first: measuring pH in cell condensates

Scientists trying to understand the physical and chemical properties that govern biomolecular condensates now have a crucial way to measure pH and other emergent properties of these enigmatic, albeit important cellular compartments. Condensates are communities of proteins and nucleic acids. They lack a membrane and come together and fall apart as needed. The nucleolus is […]

Three named 2023 Young Investigator grantees

Sarah D. Ackerman, PhD, Gabor Egervari, MD, PhD and Tao Xie, PhD, all of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, have been named 2023 Young Investigator grantees by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. This year’s funding will support 150 promising early-career scientists across the field of neuropsychiatry with innovative ideas in mental health research. The two-year grant […]