saint louis university school of medicine
Norovirus vaccine demonstrates protection against illness
LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its experimental vaccine provided significant protection against norovirus infection and related gastrointestinal illness collectively known as acute gastroenteritis …
SLU research implicates natural toxin as triggering Parkinson’s disease
ST. LOUIS — In new research from Saint Louis University, investigators have found evidence that a toxin produced by the brain is responsible for the series of cellular events that lead to Parkinson’s disease. The study, published in PLoS One, foun…
X-ray crystallography reveals structure of precursor to blood-clotting protein
ST. LOUIS — Using state-of-the-art robotic and x-ray crystallographic equipment, researchers at Saint Louis University have revealed for the first time the molecular structure of the zymogen, or inactive, form of a blood-clotting enzyme.
In an …
Benefit to having been vaccinated against smallpox as a child
Adults who were vaccinated against smallpox as children can be successfully revaccinated by using diluted doses of the vaccine and with fewer side effects, according to research published by Saint Louis University this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “We saw fewer adverse reactions in the participants who had been vaccinated before,” said Sharon Frey, M.D., the lead author of the study and an associate professor at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. “Our study included healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 32 and 60 who previously had been vaccinated. Our comparison group consisted of individuals who were otherwise healthy and between the ages of 18 and 31, who had never received a smallpox vaccination.”
Baboon behavior offers clues in the all-too-human battle of the bulge
Lack of exercise – and not diet – causes obesity and diabetes among those who are predisposed to the conditions, suggests new research on wild baboons. In addition, researchers discovered that obese animals were NOT the ones with the highest cholesterol levels, suggesting cholesterol problems and obesity are triggered by different mechanisms. “Figuratively speaking, if humans don’t exercise, some are likely to become obese and as fat as baboons.”
Researchers make breakthrough in understanding cause cancer development
A lab headed by a Saint Louis University researcher has made a major breakthrough that could lead to a better molecular understanding of cancer. Results published today in the Journal Molecular Cell by Ali Shilatifard, Ph.D., and colleagues show for the first time how a protein known to be involved in the development of cancer functions in normal cells. The research shows how the protein “Bre1” plays a pivotal role in determining how the protein “Rad6” functions in modification of chromosomal DNA. Also participating in this research was the lab of Dr. Mark Johnston at Washington University School of Medicine.