NPR Science Friday
Malaria parasite lures mosquitoes with bait-and-switch
3/27/15
Dr. Audrey Odom found that malaria-infected blood releases odors that lure mosquitoes. The parasite makes odors in a way similar to the way flowers produce their sweet fragrance. “You can basically think of a malaria parasite as a plant in the dark,” Odom said. She hopes the findings will help scientists develop a breathalyzer test for malaria that could make it easier and less expensive to test people for the disease. Other outlets: National Geographic, Scientific American, phys.org, New England Public Radio
NPR Science Friday
Building cancer vaccines from tumor mutations
4/3/15
In a small preliminary study, WUSM researchers Drs. Gerald Linette, Elaine Mardis and Beatriz Carreno reported a technique that used the tumor genome of three patients to build personalized vaccine treatments for each patient. The vaccines appeared to increase the number and diversity of cancer-fighting T cells responding to the tumors. While more research is needed to determine whether the vaccines will be effective in the long term, Dr. Linette said, “This is an important first step and opens the door to personalized immune-based cancer treatments.” The research was published in Science Express. Other outlets: Health Day, Washington Post, Huffington Post, ABC News Radio, The Australian, The Times (London), South China Morning Post, Irish Times, The Scientist, Nature, ABC Salud (Madrid, Spain), and 50 additional outlets.
Related WUSM news release
Health Day
Stents meant to prevent stroke may actually boost risk
3/24/15
Using stents rather than medication alone to keep narrowed arteries open in the brain may increase patients’ risk of stroke, according to a recently published study. “This second failed trial reinforces the conclusion that at present, [drug] therapy is much better than angioplasty and stenting for patients with a narrowing of an artery inside their head,” said Dr. Colin Derdeyn, co-author of an accompanying journal editorial. The research was published in JAMA. Other outlets: MedPage Today, NewsMax,
Related WUSM news release
Time
Here’s why drug-resistant bacteria could spread globally
3/26/15
Researchers at WUSM found that bacteria that cause many hospital-associated infections are ready to quickly share genes that allow them to resist carbapenems, powerful antibiotics intended for use only in gravely ill patients or those infected by resistant bacteria. Two genes are primarily responsible for this resistance. When researchers compared the genomes of the two genes, they found the bacteria’s high genetic similarity suggests that the antibiotic resistance genes could be shared easily between bacteria from the two geographic regions. According to study author Dr. Gautam Dantas, “Our findings also suggest it’s going to get easier for strains of these bacteria that are not yet resistant to pick up a gene that lets them survive carbapenem treatment.” Other outlets: Infection Control Today, ScienceBlog, News Medical, St. Louis Sun Times, Headline and Global News,
Related WUSM news release
Discovery
Exercising moms can reduce risks for newborns
4/1/15
A recent study led by Dr. Patrick Y. Jay demonstrated that older mouse mothers reduce the risk of their offspring having heart defects through exercise alone, when compared with younger mouse mothers. The study also suggests that the increased risk of congenital heart defects is tied to the age of the mother and not the age of her eggs. “This is exciting from a prevention standpoint,” Jay said. The study appeared Apr. 1 in Nature.
Other outlets: Daily Mail (UK), Science News, Medical Xpress
Related WUSM news release
U.S. News & World Report
Arizona abortion law pushes boundaries of what providers must tell patients
4/1/15
Dr. Colleen McNicholas commented on a recently signed controversial abortion law in Arizona that requires providers to inform patients that a drug treatment to end pregnancy may be reversed midway through. “[This legislation] is just another example of how we are taking political and religious ideology and forcing physicians to tell patients things that are not true,” she said.
Fox News (Reuters)
Obese children may have a harder time tasting fats than leaner kids
4/2/15
In a small study out of the Universite de Bourgogne in France, researchers identified a gene variant thought to affect the amount of fat receptors a person has. This variant was more common in obese children studied and was linked to an increased risk for obesity, according to the study. Dr. Latisha Love-Gregory, a nutrition researcher at WUSM who was not involved in the study, said more research is needed and added, “We do not know if the variant by reducing fat sensitivity would increase or decrease fat intake so it is hard to make dietary recommendations at this point.”
Smithsonian
How a stinging swarm of bees can save a life
3/27/15
In a story highlighting the potential healing powers of bee stings, Dr. Joshua L. Hood’s research is referenced. Hood found that melittin, the active compound in bee venom, can tear open HIV’s protective cell membrane without harming human cells. This envelope-busting method also stops the virus from having a chance to evolve resistance.
Related WUSM news release
Wired
No, these biohackers can’t give themselves infrared vision
4/1/15
Dr. Vladimir Kefalov commented on the notion that by ingesting vitamin A2, in place of vitamin A, the body would be forced to generate a pigment called porphyropsin that could help the eye see infrared light. “The shift the participants should expect to see, should they switch completely from vitamin A to A2, is about 20 nanometers,” he said. “That’s not really extending the maximum limit very far into infrared.”
Related WUSM news release
St. Louis Business Journal
Wash U doctors reach development agreement for Alzheimer’s treatments
3/23/15
C2N Diagnostics LLC, a company founded by Drs. David Holtzman and Randall Bateman, will partner with Chicago-based AbbVie biopharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize a portfolio of anti-tau antibodies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders.
WJAX-TV (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Catching prostate cancer sooner
3/24/15
Prostate biopsies performed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are more likely to find aggressive tumors than those that rely on ultrasound, according to a recent study at WUSM. Dr. Gerald Andriole said by using MRI scans, he is better able to visualize and target suspicious areas in the prostate. “We get much more valid information about the size, the shape, the aggressiveness and the location of the cancer,” he said.
Related WUSM news release
St. Louis American
Arnold Bullock, M.D., is 2015 Lifetime Achiever in Health Care
3/26/15
In a story highlighting his 25-year career at WUSM, Dr. Arnold Bullock explained why he is participating in a summer health careers program for middle schoolers and why he’s hoping to teach in middle schools one day per week. He reflected on his experience between sophomore and junior years of high school, when he worked with an African-American cardiac surgeon. “That was eye-opening,” he said. “An African-American man could be a cardiac surgeon and be successful in an operating room and have a lab. I didn’t know anything about that. So that did it for me. If I could do the same for some other kids, that would be great.”
Ladue News
The Jack and J.T. Snow Foundation: Keep Hope Alive
3/19/15
In this cover story on the Jack and J.T. Snow Foundation, WUSM research for Wolfram syndrome is highlighted. Wolfram Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, was discovered in 2000 by Dr. Alan Permutt. Patients experience severe diabetes, neurodegeneration, loss of vision, loss of hearing and eventually have difficulty breathing. Many patients do not live past the age of 30. Current research, funded by the foundation, is being led by Dr. Fumihiko Urano.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Lung transplant saves man who had five years to live
3/26/15
Douglas Jones, 68, survived idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a normally fatal lung disease with no known cause, because he had a successful double lung transplant. Diagnosing the condition is difficult because it consists of eliminating other conditions until idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is all that’s left. Dr. Adrian Shifren said the condition mostly strikes people older than 60, although people as young as 40 can develop the condition.
KETC-TV PBS
Stay Tuned: Cancer
3/26/15
This weekly discussion series features input from participants via Twitter and Google+ Hangouts. Guests included Drs. John DiPersio, Graham Colditz, Richard Wilson and William Gillanders, who talked about cancer treatments on the horizon, including the use of genomics and vaccines to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer.
St. Louis Public Radio
McCaskill: Elderly among those hurt by Missouri’s refusal to expand Medicaid
3/31/15
At a hearing on the campus of WUSTL featuring U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and experts in medicine and geriatrics examining issues faced by the elderly, Dr. John Morris warned that the federal government’s failure to promote key medical research could have profound implications. Referring to Alzheimer’s, Morris said, “It’s terrible, and it’s going to overwhelm our society.”
KSDK-TV NewsChannel 5
St. Louis
STL autism experts discuss technology’s impact
4/2/15
On World Autism Awareness Day, WUSM child psychiatrist Dr. Paul Glaser explained that technology in the classroom is beneficial for children on the autism spectrum but that parents must monitor its use closely. When it comes to realistic video games, a child on the autism spectrum may not know the difference between fantasy and reality, Glaser said.
KTVI-TV Fox 2
Underdiagnosis of African-Americans the focus on World Autism Day
4/2/15
While autism is diagnosed in one out of 68 children, it is underdiagnosed in the African-American community. Dr. John Constantino explained that health disparities within minority communities make it difficult for children to get the most comprehensive treatment available.
KSDK-TV NewsChannel 5
ShowMe St. Louis – MomDocs address spring allergies
3/24/15
Drs. Kirstin Lee and Kathleen Berchelmann, along with nurse practitioner Anne Borgmeyer, explained ways to ease allergies this spring. Among the tips – begin taking medication the minute you notice symptoms, and work to decrease allergens brought into the house by closing windows, having kids change clothes after coming in from outside and having children shower before bedtime.
St. Louis American
We need research literacy
4/1/15
Writing as guest columnists, Drs. Melody Goodman and Vetta Sanders Thompson, members of the Community Research Fellows Training leadership team, explained that the systematic underrepresentation of minorities in major research studies has led to major gaps in our understanding of minority health and health disparities.
They also said that the Community Research Fellows Training program has trained more than 80 St. Louis-area residents who can serve as community resources to others who are not as confident in their research literacy.
KTVI-TV Fox 2
StL Moms: Ear-piercing complications
4/1/15
Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann explained the greatest risk involved in piercing cartilage in the upper ear is infection, which often requires a hospital admission and IV antibiotics.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Parents talk back chat
4/1/15
Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann answered questions in a monthly parenting chat with columnist Aisha Sultan. Topics included sleepover etiquette, drug addiction and spring allergies.
KSDK-TV NewsChannel 5
Fish oil not supported by research
4/03/15
Fish oil is the third most widely used supplement in the United States after vitamins and minerals, but studies have not shown heart benefits. Dr. David Brown said he tells patients that the best way to reduce the risk of heart disease is by eating a healthy Mediterranean diet.
Health News Digest
Ten serious effects of negative parenting — and the science behind them
3/27/15
In an article highlighting the effects of parenting on children, Dr. Joan Luby’s research was referenced. Luby found that children with nurturing mothers have much larger, healthier brains than those who were less nurturing and that the hippocampi of neglected children were up to 10 percent smaller than those of children with nurturing mothers.
Related WUSM news release
St. Louis American
Siteman Cancer Center seeking Community Research Fellows
3/24/15
Siteman Cancer Center, BJH and WUSM are seeking applicants for the Community Research Fellows program. The 15-week training program’s goal is to train individuals to aid in improving minority health and helping reduce health disparities in their communities.
State Journal-Register
Young pitcher with thoracic outlet syndrome back on mound
3/25/15
Benedictine College freshman Drake Curry was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome after he suffered a blood clot. Dr. Robert Thompson explained that surgery to remove the first rib and scaline muscle to relieve pressure on the vein passing between the collarbone and first rib allows most athletes to make a full recovery.
Related WUSM news release
Nurse.com
Overcoming compassion fatigue and burnout
3/22/15
Nurse Patricia Potter explained that compassion fatigue refers to the profound emotional pain that occurs when one takes care of seriously ill patients for long periods of time, and that burnout is typically associated with increased workload and institutional stress. BJH offers a program twice a month that teaches strategies to combat compassion fatigue and stress.
Aleteia.org
Why your teens can’t keep their eyes open and how to help them get their sleep
3/23/15
Drs. James Kemp and Kathleen Berchelmann explained that teenagers ages 14-17 need eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, and most teens are operating on a one-to-three-hour sleep deficit. The doctors suggested parents work with their teens to encourage them to get more quality sleep by limiting screen time before bed, promoting exercise, but not in the two-hour window before bed, and limiting caffeine, chocolate and energy drinks.
WCIA-TV (Catlin, Ill.)
Young Illinois boy hopes to undergo potentially life-changing surgery in St. Louis
3/30/15
Mason Renfrow is traveling to St. Louis for selective dorsal rhizotomy with Dr. T.S. Park to relieve muscle spasticity caused by cerebral palsy.
