Jon Hamilton reports on a recent German study in Science that says that for more than 50 years, scientists who study the brain have been misled by squid. They did experiments on squid nerve cells thinking that those cells were good models for the human nervous system.
WUSTL radiology professor Marcus Raichle, who does brain imaging studies, says, "There is always this tendency that if you're working in an area and your experiments are working well and you're getting good data, to not think of the larger context in which this is occurring."

References:

1. Sept. 11, 2009 — Brain Scientists Misled By Squid in the NPR Morning Edition

and 1 others.

WUSTL scientists led by WUSTL radiology professor David Piwnica-Worms and lead author and postdoctoral fellow Shimon Gross say they've discovered luminol -- a compound used at crime scenes to make blood residue glow -- can also identify immune inflammation.

References:

1. March 23, 2009 — Luminol used to ID immune inflammation in the United Press International

and 5 others.

The low-impact nature of cycling isn't conducive to building strong bones. Adding high-impact exercises can ease the risks of injury. WUSTL exercise physiologist Andrew Coggan comments.

References:

1. Feb. 16, 2009 — Cyclists at risk for bone loss in the Los Angeles Times

Information obtained from a new application of photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is worth its weight in gold to breast cancer patients. The work of WUSTL biomedical engineering researchers Lihong Wang and Younan Xia, supported by the NIH, can minimize invasive surgical lymph node biopsy procedures to determine if breast cancer has metastasized and reduce the patient's exposure to radioactivity.

References:

1. Jan. 13, 2009 — Novel Technique Changes Lymph Node Biopsy, Reduces Radiaiton Exposure in the ScienceDaily.com

Boredom is more than a mere flagging of interest or a precursor to mischief.
Using brain-imaging technology, neuroscientists have found that the brain is highly active when disengaged, consuming only about 5 percent less energy in its resting "default state" than when involved in routine tasks, according to WUSTL radiology professor Mark Mintun.

References:

1. Aug. 5, 2008 — You're Checked Out, but Your Brain Is Tuned In in the The New York Times

and 8 others.

The outer layer of the brain, the reasoning, planning and self-aware region known as the cerebral cortex, has a central clearinghouse of activity below the crown of the head that is widely connected to more-specialized regions in a large network similar to a subway map, scientists reported.
"This is just about the coolest paper I've seen in a long time, and forward-looking in terms of where the science is going," said WUSTL neurology and radiology professor Marcus Raichle, who was not involved in the research.

References:

1. July 1, 2008 — Scientists Identify the Brain's Activity Hub in the The New York Times

and 1 others.

So how much radiation is too much? Scientists are still figuring that out-- and they tend to disagree about the risks. But they recently found worrying signs that radiation exposure is on the rise, thanks largely to the popularity of high-tech medical exams such as CT scans. WUSTL radiology professor Henry Royal comments on the benefits and risks of tests and treatments.

References:

1. June 3, 2008 — X-Rays, sunshine: Could radiation be hurting your health? in the CNN.com/health

Most paleoanthropologists believe that the 18,000 year old Flores, Indonesia hobbit belongs to a new species of human, But now comes word that the specimen used to define the species appears to have had some dental work. If so, it would mean that the hobbit was just a modern human with a growth disorder, which is what critics have argued all along.
Paleoanthropologist and WUSTL radiology professor Charles Hildebolt examined the CT scans and said that it is unlikely that any type of filling material is in the tooth.

References:

1. April 18, 2008 — Dental work claim challenges antiquity of hobbit skeleton in the Scientific American online

Brain scans have emerged as potentially powerful tools in court battles over defendants' sanity. More defense attorneys are seeking scans showing brain damage or abnormalities that might have made it difficult for their clients to control violent impulses. Marcus E. Raichle, researcher of neurology and radiology at the School of Medicine, comments.

References:

1. March 2, 2008 — Experts Study Neuroscience Use in Courts in the Associated Press

and 82 others.

When it comes to treating deep vein thrombosis, injecting the clot-busting drug alteplase (rTPA) directly into clots in the legs reduces the risk of complications and recurrence, a small U.S. study suggests. WUSTL radiology and surgery professor Suresh Vedantham thinks that this method of dissolving clots could eventually become an outpatient procedure.

References:

1. Jan. 29, 2008 — Clot-Busting Drug Offers New Approach to DVT in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 5 others.

In a discovery that could help boost understanding of a rare type of dwarfism, researchers announced today that they have found a genetic culprit for the condition. WUSTL genetics professor Anne Bowcock and WUSTL radiology professor Charles Hildebolt comment.

References:

1. Jan. 3, 2008 — Dwarf Gene Discovery: Explanation for Hobbit Species? in the ABC News

WUSTL chemical engineering professor Pratim Biswas has a method that controls the size of the nanoparticles he makes, opening up possibilities for new nanotechnology applications and different techniques.
Biswas described the technique and his work in a recent issue of Nanotechnology.
He is currently collaborating with WUSTL radiology professor Sam Achilefu, who is working to selectively deliver chemotherapy drugs in cancer patients.

References:

1. Dec. 3, 2007 — Technique controls nanoparticle size, creates large numbers in the Nanotechnology Now online

and 2 others.

A baby mummy from the Roman Empire period will go on display at the St. Louis Science Center.
It sat in a museum warehouse until Al Wiman joined the Science Center as vice president two years ago and suggested that modern medical technology could unlock its secrets.
He spearheaded efforts to get medical, science and art institutions in St. Louis, the U.S., and Egypt to discover the mummy's past.
WUSTL radiologist Charles Hildebolt and WUSTL geneticist Anne Bowcock comment.

References:

1. March 16, 2007 — Modern Technology Reveals Mummy's Past in the Associated Press Online

and 86 others.

WUSTL researchers have found a new means of spotting tough-to-treat cervical cancers. Cervical malignancies that take up a lot of blood sugar (glucose) are more resistant to treatment than cervical cancers with a lower glucose uptake. WUSTL radtiation oncologist Perry Grigsby comments.

References:

1. April 13, 2006 — Test points to aggressive cervical cancer in the Forbes.com

and 5 others.

Scientists have long thought that simple heat could increase the effectiveness of some cancer therapies. But just how much to cook the tumor and which cancers are susceptible, have stymied the field. Now, backed by tantalizing new evidence, a growing number of studies are enrolling patients in hopes of finally settling whether it's time to turn up the heat. WUSTL physicist William Straube comments. Like Duke, WUSTL has a major research program on cancer hyperthermia.

References:

1. Sept. 26, 2005 — More Heat Aids Cancer Therapies in the Associated Press

and 44 others.

Antidepressants may do more than improve the symptoms of depression. According to a new WUSTL study, these drugs may actually protect the brain in individuals who have repeated bouts of major depression.
WUSTL psychiatry professor Yvette Sheline comments.

References:

1. Aug. 2, 2005 — Antidepressants may protect brain from damage in the PakTribune.com (Pakistan)

In the April issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine, a number of articles explore the use of PET scans and small animal imaging—nonsurgical techniques that open the door to understanding and treating human diseases. WUSTL radiology specialist Michael Welch is a co-author and comments on a major benefit of small animal imaging.

References:

1. April 27, 2005 — PET scans on small animals may help humans in the United Press International
2. April 27, 2005 — Animal PET scans advance study of disease in the myDNA.com

and 4 others.