Decoding the genome of a man with acute myeloid leukemia revealed genetic mutations that may be common among other cancer patients. The findings could help scientists understand the genetic basis of cancer. Includes comments by WUSTL researchers Richard Wilson, co-author and director of the Genome Center, and Timothy Ley, study senior author and medicine professor.

References:

1. Aug. 5, 2009 — Genome of Leukemia Patient Reveals Common Mutations in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 13 others.

There has been much hand-wringing over the dangers of medical residents' grueling schedules. One recent study advised that a solution would be to reduce the length of their shifts. But many in the medical community, including residents themselves, worry that shorter shifts could come at the expense of educational opportunities and possibly even patient safety. Includes comments by WUSTL Department of Medicine chairman Kenneth Polonsky.

References:

1. May 21, 2009 — Are Medical Residents Worked Too Hard? in the Time.com

As many as 25 million people who can't beat high blood pressure no matter how many drugs they take may soon have a couple of new options, including a new kind of pacemaker that contains sensors that regulate blood pressure, according to a report by WUSTL renal specialist Marcos Rothstein.

References:

1. March 30, 2009 — New hope for folks with high blood pressure in the USA Today

The dieting world screams with contradictory advice, but a new study says the key is reducing calories. WUSTL nutrition expert Luigi Fontana, who studies the effects of calorie restriction on longevity, comments.

References:

1. Feb. 25, 2009 — Low-fat? Low-carbs? Answering best diet question in the CNN.com

Estrogen is medicine's most two-faced hormone, confusing doctors and patients for decades on its role in the benefits and risks of heart disease and cancer. Now WUSTL researchers have shown that in some women with breast cancer tumors that thrive on the hormone, giving them more estrogen actually can trick the tumors into submission.

References:

1. Dec. 12, 2008 — Estrogen paradox can fight tumors in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

and 13 others.

Knowing that gut bacteria are key to digestion and metabolism, WUSTL pathologist Jeffrey Gordon and his colleagues went in search of a core group of bacterial species that aid digestion.

References:

1. Dec. 10, 2008 — Bug genes are the key to human digestion in the New Scientist (UK)

A national panel of medical experts proposed significant and costly changes for training new doctors in the nation's hospitals, recommending mandatory sleep breaks and more structured shift changes to reduce the risk of fatigue-related errors. WUSTL medicine and history professor and panel member Kenneth Ludmerer comments.

References:

1. Dec. 3, 2008 — Expert Panel Seeks Changes in Training of Medical Residents in the The New York Times

and 12 others.

Calorie restriction, a diet that is low in calories and high in nutrition, may not be as effective at extending life in people as it is in rodents, according to WUSTL scientists led by medicine professor Luigi Fontana.

References:

1. Sept. 24, 2008 — Differences Between People and Animals on Calorie Restriction in the ScienceDaily.com

and 14 others.

Ventilator tubes treated with silver to reduce infections cut the risk of pneumonia in gravely ill patients by 36 percent compared with similar, untreated tubes, according to a WUSTL study published in JAMA. WUSTL pulmonary specialist Marin Kollef and colleagues conducted the study.

References:

1. Aug. 19, 2008 — Coated ventilator tubes cut pneumonia threat in the MSNBC

and 6 others.

WUSTL researcher Kathryn Diemer, clinical director of WUSTL's Bone Health Program, talks about bone-mineral density and other fracture risks in aging women.

References:

1. April 1, 2008 — Reverse Your Risk in the Good Housekeeping

Federal health officials are stopping short of recommending genetic tests for patients on the blood-thinner warfarin, even though they have said such screenings could prevent thousands of complications each year.
Warfarin became the first widely used drug to include genetic testing information on its label. The information can help doctors determine how best to prescribe the drug.
The FDA said this means personalized medicine is no longer an abstract concept but has moved into the mainstream.
"What we need to do is find out whether genetic testing improves outcomes," said WUSTL medical researcher Brian Gage.

References:

1. Aug. 16, 2007 — FDA notes role genetic testing can play in safer use of blood thinner in the Associated Press

and 65 others.

A case featuring a St. Louis woman and the powerful blood thinner called warfarin shows the advances in personalized medicine, where treatment is tailored to an individual's genetic makeup. But, in a possible harbinger of battles to come, the warfarin tests have also led to a clash between the FDA and some doctors. WUSTL medical researcher Brian Gage comments.

References:

1. Aug. 16, 2007 — In milestone, FDA pushes genetic tests tied to drug in the The Wall Street Journal

Patients aren't the only ones harmed by medical errors, according to a survey released Wednesday that found many doctors who make mistakes and even those who come close suffer stress, sleep problems and loss of confidence.
Job stress related to medical errors potentially could make some doctors prone to depression, quitting or even making additional mistakes, underscoring the need for helping them cope, said WUSTL psychologist Amy Waterman, the study's lead author.

References:

1. July 19, 2007 — Docs suffer stress, sleep problems after mistakes, survey says in the Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 38 others.

A flawed Medicare payment plan encourages aggressive use of a risky and costly anti-anemia drug on many kidney dialysis patients, say researchers who warn the system should be changed.
In an accompanying editorial in JAMA, WUSTL renal expert Daniel Coyne said kidney doctors who work with dialysis centers may not know they are "making dubious dosing decisions" because they sign multipage standing orders and turn over anemia management to chain employees.

References:

1. April 18, 2007 — Study Urges Caution on Anemia Drug Use in the Associated Press Online

and 55 others.

By using a combination of bone marrow transplants and gene therapy, U.S. researchers were able to greatly extend the lives of mice with a fatal neurodegenerative disease that's similar to Krabbe disease in humans.
WUSTL medicine and genetics professor Mark Sands, who is the study's senior author, comments.
The study was published in the January issue of Molecular Therapy.

References:

1. Jan. 15, 2007 — Combo Therapy Offers Hope for Krabbe's Disease in the The Washington Post

and 6 others.

A small study on an experimantal drug released today may have a big effect on people with so much cholesterol in their blood that they can die of heart attacks in their teens and early 20s.
WUSTL metabolism researcher Anne Goldberg, who was not involved in the study, comments.

References:

1. Jan. 11, 2007 — Experimental drug cuts rare, lethal cholesterol levels in patients in the USA Today

A medical study to be released today suggests that high doses of a best-selling drug used to treat anemia in dialysis and cancer patients may increase the risk of heart problems and deaths.
WUSTL kidney specialist Daniel Coyne comments.

References:

1. Nov. 16, 2006 — Heart Risk Seen in Drug for Anemia in the The New York Times

and 5 others.

It's the nation's most troublesome lifesaver. Every day, 2 million Americans swallow a blood thinner called warfarin that puts them on a tightrope: Too little, and they won't be protected from lethal blood clots. Too much, and they can bleed to death. Article looks at an FDA study to see if testing new patients' genes will dramatically reduce side effects during the critical first weeks of therapy.
WUSTL scientist Brian Gage, who is leading a pilot study of the gene testing for the NIH, comments.

References:

1. Sept. 4, 2006 — Study seeks safer blood thinner used by millions of Americans in the Associated Press

and 9 others.

A very low calorie — that cut calories by as much as 40% of your normal intake — can help the heart age more slowly, according to researchers who released what they call the first-ever human study on the subject. Results showed that people on the strict diet had younger hearts than normal-weight people on a typical Western diet. WUSTL medical professor and lead author Luigi Fontana and colleague John Holloszy comment.

References:

1. Jan. 13, 2006 — Cut Calories For A Younger Heart in the CBS News
2. Jan. 13, 2006 — Low-calorie, high-quality diet keeps us young, study says in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

and 115 others.

New research suggests the tongue may have taste sensors dedicated to detecting fat, just as it does for salty, sour, bitter and sweet foods.
But French researchers say the existence of a built-in 'fat sensor' might prove a boon for dieters if researchers then figure out a way of turning it off to make fatty foods less tempting.
WUSTL internal medicine professor Nada Abumrad, the author of a commentary on the findings, comments.

References:

1. Nov. 3, 2005 — Fondness for Fatty Foods May Be Built In in the ABC News

and 25 others.