Category: Uncategorized

David Wang, PhD and Bijal Parikh, MD, PhD have identified a mutation that reduces the ability of reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) to identify SARS-CoV-2. The research was recently published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. The efficacy and reliability of these assays are of paramount importance in both tracking and controlling the spread of the […]

For certain blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), deciding whether patients need an aggressive treatment typically hinges on a set of lab tests to identify genetic changes. Some of these tests rely on technology that was invented more than 60 years ago and has been used clinically for the […]

Eating is a dangerous business. Naturally occurring toxins in food and potentially harmful foodborne microbes can do a number on our intestines, leading to repeated minor injuries. In healthy people, such damage typically heals in a day or two. But in people with Crohn’s disease, the wounds fester, causing abdominal pain, bleeding, diarrhea and other […]

New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that three new, fast-spreading variants of the virus that cause COVID-19 can evade antibodies that work against the original form of the virus that sparked the pandemic. With few exceptions, whether such antibodies were produced in response to vaccination or natural infection, or […]

Since early in the pandemic, COVID-19 has been associated with heart problems, including reduced ability to pump blood and abnormal heart rhythms. But it’s been an open question whether these problems are caused by the virus infecting the heart, or an inflammatory response to viral infection elsewhere in the body. Such details have implications for […]

To locate some of the world’s most superpowered cells, look no further than the human immune system. The mission of these hometown heroes is threefold: Memorize the features of dangerous microbes that breach the body’s barriers. Launch an attack to bring them to heel. Then squirrel away intel to quash future assaults.

Of the nine treatments and preventives for COVID-19 authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, three are drugs made from so-called monoclonal antibodies. Such drugs provide patients with ready-made antibodies that neutralize the virus, bypassing the body’s slower and sometimes less effective process of making its own antibodies.

Inflammation and metabolic disorders are deeply intertwined. For example, people with inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease and psoriasis are at risk of developing metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. However troubling that connection might seem, it also might point to some promising news.

Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, schizophrenia and many other neurological and psychiatric conditions have been linked to inflammation in the brain. There’s growing evidence that immune cells and molecules play a key role in normal brain development and function as well. But at the core of the burgeoning field of neuroimmunology lies a mystery: How […]

No evidence so far indicates that food or drinks can transmit the virus that causes COVID-19, but new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that people with problems in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract may be vulnerable to infection after swallowing the virus.

Neurologist Randall J. Bateman, MD, virologist and immunologist Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, and microbiologist Scott Hultgren, PhD – all faculty members at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis – have been named fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.

Melanie Yarbrough, PhD, was recently featured in CAP Today. The article focuses on Dr. Yarbrough’s work implementing a urine reflex algorithm to help increase the odds for success in reducing the number of urine cultures.  

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a molecule that protects mice from brain infections caused by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a mosquito-borne virus notorious for causing fast-spreading, deadly outbreaks in Mexico, Central America and northern South America. As the climate changes, the virus is likely to expand its […]

The turning point for people with COVID-19 typically comes in the second week of symptoms. As most people begin to recover, a few others find it increasingly difficult to breathe and wind up in the hospital. It has been theorized that those whose lungs begin to fail are victims of their own overactive immune systems.

In an effort to enhance clinical genomic services at Washington University School of Medicine, the Department of Pathology & Immunology is pleased to announce the formation of two new sections; Clinical Cancer Genomics and Constitutional Genomics. Eric Duncavage, MD will serve as the inaugural head of Clinical Cancer Genomics and Jonathon Heusel, MD, PhD will […]

The communities of bacteria that live in our digestive tracts help digest food and produce vitamins, protect against pathogens, and promote the healthy functioning of our immune system. But alongside gut bacteria thrives a vast community of viruses, and we know little about their impact on health and disease.

Cancer vaccines have shown promise in treating certain tumors, such as melanoma. But such vaccines have limitations. They often target normal proteins that may be more abundant in the tumor but also are present in healthy tissue, which can lead to off-target effects that cause autoimmune disorders and also reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines

Pathology & Immunology is excited and proud to welcome the newest members of our department. These new residents and fellows will begin the next chapter of their medical education journey this July. To see a list of all the new trainees click here.

With no drugs or vaccines yet approved for COVID-19 and the number of U.S. cases increasing by the thousands every day, doctors are looking to revive a century-old therapy for infectious diseases: transfusing antibodies from the blood of recovered patients into people who are seriously ill.

Elizabeth M. Brunt, MD, a professor emeritus of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Liver Pathology from the Hans Popper Hepatopathology Society.

Recognized for contributions to reproductive medicine diagnostics Ann M. Gronowski, PhD, a professor and vice-chair of faculty affairs and development in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the Academy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in a Selected Area of Research from the […]

Clinical teams ready; research for vaccines, drugs underway Soon after a novel coronavirus first appeared in China in late 2019, researchers, doctors and staff at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis began preparing for the possibility of an outbreak. Infectious disease physicians started planning how to respond if a person with suspected exposure […]

Brian T. Edelson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and immunology, was presented with the Samuel R. Goldstein Leadership Award in Medical Student Education award.  Edelson has also received four Distinguished Service Teaching awards from Washington University and awards from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation. Recognizing outstanding teaching, the Samuel […]

Ann Gronowski has been selected as the 2020 AACC Academy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in a Selected Area of Research. This award recognizes especially meritorious research contributions by an individual in a specific area of clinical chemistry. The clinical chemists who have received this award have achieved national and international status for […]