Poet Andrei Codrescu reflects on the implications for humans of a WUSTL medical study on roundworms, which suggests that removing the sense of smell could lead to a longer life.

References:

1. Oct. 30, 2008 — Life Without Smell May Not Be Worth It in the NPR All Things Considered

WUSTL developmental biologist Kerry Kornfeld comments on new research that suggests the possibility that roundworms who were deprived of their sense of smell lived extra-long.

References:

1. Oct. 24, 2008 — Olfactory Hack Tricks Worms Into Living Longer in the Wired.com

and 11 others.

Harvard researchers report in the Sept. 21 issue of Cell that they have uncovered a molecular clue that seems to explain why cutting calories might lengthen your life.
It turns out that mitochondria guard against cell death, and two specific genes within the mitochondria actually carry out that task. Mitochondria are compartments within a cell that are dedicated to energy production, and their loss is thought to be a major cause of aging.
WUSTL molecular biology and pharmacology professor Shin-ichiro Imai comments on the Harvard study.

References:

1. Sept. 20, 2007 — Researchers Pinpoint Link Between Caloric Restriction and Longevity in the CBC News (Canada)

and 7 others.

Bacteria in the intestines can modify the body's chemistry to alter the amount of food that becomes stored as fat, according to a finding in mice reported this week that could help in controlling obesity. WUSTL scientist Jeffrey Gordon and his colleagues reported the findings in the current Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
It is unlikely that any manipulation of bacterial levels or composition could produce weight loss, experts said, but drugs that block this activity might.

References:

1. Jan. 6, 2007 — Blame fat on the bacteria -- again in the The Los Angeles Times

and 5 others.

Another article on the research led by WUSTL molecular biology and pharmacology professor Jeffrey Gordon that shows the link between a certain kind of gut bacteria and obesity.
Gordon's research is outlined in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and two others published last month in Nature.

References:

1. Jan. 4, 2007 — Greedy guts? in the The Economist (UK)

The microorganisms that live in your gut could explain one of the sources of obesity, says a new study from researchers at Washington University led by molecular biology and pharmacology professor Jeffrey Gordon and colleague Buck Samuel. Bacteria live throughout the body, but some intestinal bacteria appear to be better than others at helping their hosts turn food into energy. The results of the study are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

References:

1. June 14, 2006 — Intestinal bacteria may explain obesity in the ABC News online

and 58 others.

Widely used beta-blocker blood pressure medications can raise the risk of death in patients with specific genes who receive the drugs after a heart attack or unstable angina, according to a study led by WUSTL researchers David Lanfear and Howard McLeod. Another study scheduled to begin at WUSTL will look for the appropriate treatments for patients whose genetic makeup might make beta-blocker use hazardous.

References:

1. Sept. 27, 2005 — Beta-Blocker Drugs May Pose Dangers for Some in the Forbes.com

and 10 others.

Just two cocktails consumed by a pregnant woman may be enough to kill some of the developing brain cells in an unborn child, leading to neurological problems that can last a lifetime. John Olney, the John P. Feighner Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at the School of Medicine, said his studies show alcohol can cause nerve cells in the developing brain to commit suicide. And, based on alcohol studies, this effect doesn't take much alcohol. Two cocktails, in most women, are enough to elevate alcohol levels in the blood to 0.07 percent, Olney said. The animal studies show that in unborn mice, this concentration is enough to kill developing brain cells.

References:

1. Feb. 15, 2004 — Small amounts of alcohol or anesthetics may damage the developing brain in the The New York Times

and 80 others.