Cognitive Impact of Exercise and Mindfulness in Older Adults: A Comprehensive Study
In healthy older adults, neither exercise nor mindfulness led to measurable improvements after 6 months or 18 months. A study by researchers from the Washington…
Washington University School of Medicine News
Smarter Opioids: A New Approach to Pain Relief Without Addiction
Targeting opioid receptor pathway could treat pain without addiction or hallucinations. Researchers have discovered a new approach to developing painkillers that don’t cause addiction or…
Cracking the Code of Autoimmune Diseases: New Approach Identifies Key Protein Fragments
Study opens pathway to better diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases. Researchers from Washington University, Stanford University, and Oxford University have developed a method to…
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough? Common Sleeping Pill Reduces Levels of Disease Proteins
More research needed to determine if sleep medications prevent, delay Alzheimer’s. A small study suggests that the insomnia medication suvorexant could potentially reduce Alzheimer’s proteins…
Hidden Linkages: Scientists Find Mind-Body Connection Is Built Into Brain
Findings point to brain areas that integrate planning, purpose, physiology, behavior, and movement. Calm body, calm mind, say the practitioners of mindfulness. A new study…
New Imaging Tech Creates 3D Maps of Uterine Contractions During Labor in Real-Time
Noninvasive technique could shed light on preterm birth. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed new imaging technology that can…
New Alzheimer’s Treatment Strategy: Blocking T Cells To Prevent Neurodegeneration
Findings, in mice, open up drug development possibilities for brain diseases linked to tau protein. Nearly two dozen experimental therapies targeting the immune system are…
Research Shows Gut Bacteria Affect Brain Health – Reveals New Approach to Treating Alzheimer’s Disease
Findings from research on mice suggest a new approach to treating Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. A growing pile of evidence indicates that the tens…
Dry Eye Disease Impacts Cornea Healing Process
People with a condition known as dry eye disease are more likely than those with healthy eyes to suffer injuries to their corneas. Studying mice,…
Why Alzheimer’s Disease Damages Certain Parts of the Brain – New Genetic Clues
Research findings could help explain rare symptoms such as problems with language and vision. The first sign of Alzheimer’s disease is typically memory loss, followed…
Nationwide Problem: Serious Lung Infections Caused by Soil Fungi
Outdated maps of disease-causing fungi may lead to delayed and missed diagnoses. Fungi in the soil cause a significant number of serious lung infections in…
New Method Allows Scientists To View Cell Secretion in Unprecedented Detail
Researchers have created a new assay to detect cellular protein secretion. Washington University researchers have developed the FluoroDOT assay, a revolutionary protein visualization technique that…
Scientists Find New Way To Clear Toxic Waste From Brain
Could aid efforts to find treatments for Alzheimer’s dementia and other diseases. A new druggable pathway that potentially could be used to help prevent Alzheimer’s…
Key to Sensation of Pleasant Touch: Specific Neural Pathway Identified
Similar to itch, pleasant touch is transmitted by a specific neuropeptide and neural circuit. Researchers have identified a neural circuit and a neuropeptide — a…
Most Brain Studies Have Too Few Participants To Yield Reliable Findings
Findings will encourage more data sharing, collaboration among researchers. As brain scans have become more detailed and informative in recent decades, neuroimaging has seemed to…
Novel Treatment Makes Pancreatic Cancer Susceptible to Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy
Washington University to lead national clinical trial investigating therapy. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and deadly tumor types and notorious for its…
Scientists Discover New Way Viruses Trigger Autoimmune Diseases
In mice, roseolovirus disrupts immune cells’ process of learning self-recognition. Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes are thought to arise when…
What Makes mRNA Vaccines So Effective Against Severe COVID-19?
Shots trigger exceptional antibody response by activating key helper immune cells. The first two vaccines created with mRNA vaccine technology — the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna…
