CBS News
Harder-to-abuse OxyContin doesn’t stop addicts
3/12/15
A recent WUSM study showed that an abuse-deterrent formulation of OxyContin was successful in getting abusers and addicts to stop using the drug to a point, but also found that up to 25 percent of drug users entering rehab programs say they were still abusing the newer formulation of the drug. Senior investigator Dr. Theodore J. Cicero explained that of those who had stopped using OxyContin and switched to another drug, 70 percent started using heroin instead. “There are people who will continue to use no matter what the drug makers do, and Luntil we focus more on why people use these drugs, we won’t be able to solve this problem,” Cicero said. Other outlets: Forbes, Medical Daily, Science Codex, News Medical, Psychiatry Advisor, Medscape, Pharmaceutical Journal
Related WUSM news release
Prevention
Are you walking around on prematurely old knees?
3/12/15
In an article highlighting the increase in knee injuries in younger women, Dr. Rick Wright commented that small injuries in cartilage may go undetected until they worsen since cartilage doesn’t have nerve endings.
Health Day
Biomarkers in urine may help detect kidney cancer early, study finds
3/19/15
Drs. Jeremiah J. Morrissey and Evan Kharasch found that two protein biomarkers were more than 95 percent accurate in detecting early-stage kidney cancers. “… Patients don’t know they have kidney cancer until they get symptoms, and by then, it’s often too late for a cure,” Morrissey said. The researchers are aiming to develop a kidney cancer test for early detection, similar to mammograms or colonoscopies. The study was published in JAMA Oncology. Other outlets: Fox News, Medical Daily, Health Canal, Science Codex
KABC-TV (Los Angeles)
New image scanning may unravel autism mysteries
3/14/15
Neuroimaging technology developed in the lab of Dr. Joe Culver that maps brain activity by shining dozens of tiny LED lights on a person’s head is being used to help researchers develop protocols to study children with autism. Since the scanner is open, researchers can interact face to face with study participants, which is important for studying interpersonal skills. Other outlets: WLS-TV-ABC 7 (Chicago), WJXT-TV (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Related WUSM news release
MTV
Why do 24 states in the U.S. refuse to cover the most effective form of birth control?
3/18/15
In an article highlighting the issue of some states not expanding Medicaid and therefore not covering the cost of IUDs, Washington University’s Contraceptive CHOICE study was referenced.
Related WUSM news release
Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
The rewiring of Tim Raglin
3/13/15
Dr. Susan Mackinnon and Dr. Ida Fox traveled to Ottawa to help a Canadian surgeon perform the first nerve transfer surgery in Canada. The article highlights the procedure.
Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
Canadian-born surgeon Susan Mackinnon pioneered nerve transfer surgery
3/13/15
Dr. Susan Mackinnon explained her first nerve transfer surgery on a patient with a spinal cord injury. The surgery was successful and the patient, Tom Wachtel, is now able to pinch his thumb and index finger, which allows him to feed himself and to take control of other small daily tasks.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Falls pose serious health hazards for elderly
3/12/15
Occupational therapist Dr. Susy Stark is conducting a study aimed to help prevent falls in older people. The study involves identifying each participant’s abilities and risks posed in his or her home environment and then modifying the home to alleviate the risks. The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Stark is partnering with the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging to identify qualified participants.
WJXT-TV (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Specialized cap helps stroke victims regain mobility
3/23/15
In a clinical trial, Dr. Eric Leuthardt is evaluating whether people who have had strokes can retrain the uninjured side of their brains to help restore mobility. Participants who have weakness in their hands use a brain- computer interface. Each wears a cap with sensors connected to a computer and a robotic orthotic hand, and the cap interprets the signals when the patient thinks about moving his or her fingers. The orthotic device then moves the hand. Leuthardt hopes that as each participant continues to practice this therapy, his or her brain will relearn how to move the hand.
Related WUSM news release
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Faster track: Washington University speeds up licensing program to spur research
3/13/15
Brad Castanho explained the “Quick Start” licensing program for WUSTL faculty members interested in creating their own startup companies based off technologies they developed at the university. Dr. Dennis Hallahan explained that before “Quick Start,” he hired a consultant to negotiate with the university over intellectual property and it took about a year to complete the process. His latest deal for his startup Medical Guidance Systems was signed in a month using the new method.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Senior Focus: Maintaining gut health
3/12/15
WUSM gastroenterologist Dr. Matthew Ciorba explained that probiotics are thought to offer health benefits and are generally safe for older people who develop changes in digestive health and function. He pointed out, however, that health benefits haven’t been proven in rigorous scientific studies to treat any specific condition.
KCWY-TV (Wyo.)
Gavin’s Journey: Sheridan boy gets new liver
3/12/15
A young boy from Sheridan, Wyo., diagnosed with liver disease when he was a baby received a life-saving transplant at SLCH at the age of 10.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
‘Snack and Chat’ reaches out to families in trauma
3/19/15
A new program at BJH offers support to families of patients in the hospital’s trauma units. Monthly informal gatherings offer families the chance to connect with others going through similar situations and include hospital staff and a volunteer who has had a loved one in the trauma unit.
News-Medical
Washington University researchers develop way to apply light-based therapy to reach deep tumors
3/12/15
Using a mouse model of cancer, Dr. Samuel Achilefu and colleagues at WUSM have devised a way to apply light-based therapy to deep tissues never before accessible. Instead of shining an outside light, they delivered light directly to tumor cells, along with a photosensitive source of free radicals that can be activated by the light to destroy cancer. The study was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
Related WUSM news release
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Parents talk back chat
3/4/15
Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann answered questions in a monthly parenting chat with columnist Aisha Sultan. Topics included combating winter blues, handling the death of a pet and navigating summer camp issues.
KTVI-TV Fox2
What do the 2015 dietary guidelines mean for you?
3/11/15
BJH clinical dietitian Katie Lambert explained the new 2015 U.S. dietary guidelines. Among the changes, eggs are recommended again since new research has shown that cholesterol in eggs does not affect the blood cholesterol in your body, and eggs are low in saturated fat. Moderate coffee consumption is OK, but people should watch the amount of cream and sugar.
The St. Louis American
Half-match stem cell transplants widening donor options for patients
3/19/15
Using 12 genetic markers, doctors believe they have a way around the difficult task of finding matching donors for patients in need of bone marrow transplants. A perfect match is harder to find, particularly in persons of diverse ancestry and minorities, who make up a smaller portion of the overall donor pool. To give patients greater odds without using perfect matches, Dr. Rizwan Romee is using a modified regime developed at Johns Hopkins, which is showing equal success with half-matching, or haploidentical donors.
Medical Xpress
Stem cells lurking in tumors can resist treatment
3/12/15
Studying mice, Dr. David H. Gutmann found that slow-growing malignant tumors have treatment-resistant stem cells. Previously, stem cells had been identified only in aggressive, fast-growing tumors. “At the very least, we’re going to have to use different drugs and different, likely higher dosages to make sure we kill these tumor stem cells,” Gutmann said. Other outlets: Health Canal
Related WUSM news release
KTVI-TV Fox2
Superheroes appear outside Children’s Hospital
3/6/15
Window washers dressed as Spiderman and Captain America repel from the top of St. Louis Children’s Hospital to surprise the young patients.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Healthy Kids: Nursemaid’s elbow
3/19/15
SLCH nurse practitioner Alissa Haycraft explained that nursemaid’s elbow is common in children under 4 and occurs when one of the bones in the arm slips out of place from the ligament that holds it near the elbow. She added that it’s important to get medical care right away and that usually a physician can easily fix the injury and provide immediate pain relief. To prevent the injury, avoid pulling or swinging a child by the arms or hands, and lift a child under the armpits.
Healthline
Kick butts day counters big tobacco’s social media message
3/18/15
In an article highlighting tobacco marketing through social media, Dr. Patricia Cavazos-Rehg explained her research findings. “Over 40 percent of kids are reporting what I would consider to be consistent exposure to pro-tobacco advertisements via the internet,” she said. Cavazos-Rehg went on to explain that prevention messages are important to stream on social media, but streaming needs to be done in a way that’s engaging to young people.
Related WUSM news release
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Henderson surgeon decompresses nerves to stop chronic pain
3/8/15
In an article highlighting nerve decompression surgery for chronic pain caused by peripheral neuropathy, Dr. Thomas Tung explained that fewer than 10 surgical programs exist in the United States to treat the problem. He added that as more people understand how symptoms can be relieved through surgery, existing programs will be expanded and new ones created to meet the demand.
Columbia Daily Tribune
Did you know? Don’t scratch that
3/15/15
Article highlights WUSM research that indicates scratching causes the brain to release serotonin, which intensifies the itch sensation.
Related WUSM news release
Medical Xpress
Vitamin D helps immune cells prevent atherosclerosis and diabetes
3/19/15
New research in mice at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests vitamin D plays a major role in preventing the inflammation that leads to Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. Further, the way key immune cells behave without adequate vitamin D may provide scientists with new therapeutic targets for patients with those disorders. Senior investigator Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi and co-first author Amy E. Riek commented.
Other outlets: Nephrology News, Diabetes News, Latinos Health
Medical News Today
Study uncovers clues about overproduction of mucus in asthma and COPD
3/19/15
Researchers from WUSM have laid the groundwork for developing treatments for COPD, cystic fibrosis and certain cancers by looking into how the body inappropriately produces too much mucus, making breathing difficult. Reporting in eLife, Dr. Thomas J. Brett suggests that the protein CLCA1 and the chloride ion channel TMEM16A may work together in the overproduction of mucus, which offers a potential target for new therapies.
Related WUSM news release
Neurology Advisor
Thiamine: A simple solution to reverse Wernicke syndrome
3/16/15
Wernicke encephalopathy is brain damage caused by a lack of thiamine, (vitamin B1). If not treated promptly, the damage to the brain can become permanent. Dr. Gregory Day, a WUSM behavioral neurology fellow, explained that IV administration of high doses of vitamin B1 offers a fast, inexpensive and highly effective way to treat the problem.
Melanoma News Today
Researchers discover genetic alterations in children and adolescents with melanoma
3/17/15
Researchers from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital-Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project were able to identify the genetic foundations of three different pediatric melanoma subtypes. These new discoveries potentially could lead to more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatments. “We were surprised to see that so many of the pediatric melanomas had genetic changes linked to UV damage,” said co-author Dr. Richard K. Wilson.
Medical News Today
Beauty in the beasties: How some of the world’s creepiest critters may benefit your health
3/19/15
Investigators from WUSM explained that melittin (a toxin found in bee venom) is able to make holes in the protective, double-layered membrane that surrounds the HIV virus. Delivering high levels of the toxin to the virus via nanoparticles could be an effective way to kill it. Study author Dr. Joshua L. Hood believes these findings could lead to the creation of a vaginal gel to halt HIV transmission.
Related WUSM news release
Highland Radio (Ireland)
Young Killygordon boy undergoes potentially life-changing surgery
3/13/15
Paul Doherty from Ireland traveled to America to undergo selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) with Dr. T.S. Park to relieve muscle spasticity caused by cerebral palsy. Other outlets: The Daily Record, Her.ie
