Health + Wellness

One of the biggest challenges in studying Down syndrome is finding the right research model. Animals and established cell lines are limited in their ability to mimic human disease, and results don’t always translate to patient populations. Stem cells hold enormous potential as research tools that…

A multi-institutional team of researchers led by Case Western Reserve University has identified a pattern of clustered genetic changes that appear to encourage growth of colorectal cancer tumors—a finding that points to a promising potential target for drug development. In a study published in…

It’s early in the budget process. Almost always, the President’s budget is modified in Congress. The current proposal will not stand. Nonetheless, it is still disheartening to learn of a budget that proposes a $5.8 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health—over 18% of its total. Over the…

It happened! Today, St. Patrick’s Day, our lucky medical students opened the envelopes (or received from the ether on their cell phones) their all-important MATCH. After much anticipation, these 196 young people now know where they will be spending at least the next year, and in most cases, the…

At exactly 12:00 p.m. today, medical students from around the nation – including those at Case Western Reserve University – received envelopes in which they learned where they will spend the next years of their training. Top residency choices this year for Case Western Reserve medical students…

It’s windy and snowy again today. The temperature has swung wildly downward hitting sub-freezing temperatures after hitting unseasonable highs several times just a few days ago.  But they tell me that soon, it will swing back into more seasonal temperatures. It has also rained a good deal lately.…

Researchers have known that part of the challenge in treating penicillin-resistant infections lies in understanding the way bacteria inactivate penicillin antibiotics. The enzymes that do this, beta-lactamases, chop up the antibiotics rendering them useless. One particularly problematic group of…

Specific cells in the retina trigger inflammation and vision impairment associated with diabetes, according to new research out of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The findings unexpectedly implicate Mu¨ller cells—which provide structural support in the retina—as key drivers of…

Investigational drug may help combat this serious global health threat The deadly fungus, Candida auris, which has been found in hospitals, is resistant to entire classes of antimicrobial drugs, limiting treatment options for those infected. First reported in 2009, the fungus has been linked to…

Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have made the world a much safer and healthier place. But Shakespeare was onto something when he asked if it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. In the case of antibiotics, the answer is increasingly “yes.” As a result, Case Western…