Saint Louis University School of Medicine
1. Stress & Medical School
A study conducted at SLU found that changing the curriculum to lift the pressure in the med-school environment improved students’ mental health and academic achievement.
2. Sickle Cells & Pain
A medication usually given to heart patients to prevent clotting during angioplasty, ReoPro, is being investigated as a way to decrease pain and the length of hospital stays in patients with sickle-cell anemia.
3. Alzheimer’s & Mice
Researchers found that a certain compound, an antisense oligo-nucleotide (OL-1), can reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice.
4. Pain Medications & Depression
A SLU research team recently received a grant to further its research on the link between chronic prescription-painkiller usage and increased risk of depression.
5. Air Sampling & Bioterrorism
A recent study confirmed that the U.S. government’s air and surface sampling techniques are successful in detecting biological terrorism attacks under real-world conditions.
Washington University School of Medicine
6. Antidepressants & Alzheimer’s
Use of the common antidepressant Celexa was shown to lower production of the amyloid beta protein that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.
7. Vitamin D & Asthma
A recent study found there’s a limited benefit to adding vita-min D to asthma treatment. It only improved breathing for patients who achieved sufficient blood levels of vitamin D.
8. DNA & Blood-Sucking Worms
Researchers have sequenced the genome of a type of hookworm that infects humans. The findings could help develop treatments for hook-worm infections, as well as auto-immune and allergic diseases.
9. AutisticTendencies & Alcohol
Researchers found that people with autistic tendencies—those averse to social situations or who engage in repetitive behaviors—are slightly more susceptible than their peers to developing alcohol problems if they drink.
10. Soil Bacteria & Antibiotic Resistance
Soil bacteria was found to be unlikely to share genes to combat antibiotics. These findings may help researchers devise ways to slow the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
