studying the flu | Researchers at the Saint Louis University Center for Vaccine Development are recruiting St. Louisans to participate in a clinical trial to study pre-existing immunity to the flu. The project is a human challenge study, meaning it will investigate the immune system’s response to exposure to a pathogen. Participants will be infected with the influenza A H3N2 virus while under the care of a medical team. “By the time we are adults, we have been infected with the flu many times,” says principal investigator Dr. Daniel Hoft, director of the university’s Vaccine Center. “While we have learned a lot about how the flu infects people, it is hard to know exactly when someone is exposed to the flu, and what happens early on after they are exposed to the flu but before they become sick.”
immunotherapy and cancer
An international clinical trial led by Washington University School of Medicine shows that an innovative CAR-T cell immunotherapy is effective against aggressive blood cancers. The treatment is specifically designed to attack cancerous T cells, and participants in the trial had been diagnosed with rare cancers and had run out of standard therapy options. After receiving the treatment, most patients who received a full dose achieved remission. “The trial demonstrated a high likelihood of response to the therapy and even remission,” says senior author Dr. John F. DiPersio, the Virginia E. & Sam J. Golman Professor of Medicine. “This CAR-T cell treatment shows promise in becoming a ‘bridge-to-transplant’ therapy for patients who would otherwise not be eligible for stem cell transplantation, which is the only potentially curative treatment for these blood cancers.”
a better experience for nurses
Nursing recruitment and retention has dropped across the country over the last three years. Mercy is dedicated to empowering nurses to do their job better and improving their experience. Recent innovations include voice-to-text
transcription tools to improve documentation, Bluetooth stethoscopes that assist caregivers who are hard of hearing and an A.I. designed to streamline the admission process from the emergency department to a hospital bed. “We’re creating an environment where Mercy nurses feel seen, supported and empowered,” says Tracy Breece, executive director of nursing informatics. “True innovation happens when nurses are heard and empowered. That’s when transformation takes root—for caregivers and patients alike.”
treatment for alzheimer’s
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have found that adverse side effects were rare among patients with mild cases of Alzheimer’s disease who received lecanemab. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023, but side effects like brain swelling and bleeding emerged during clinical trials. The new study focused on 234 patients who received lecanemab infusions at the Memory Diagnostic Center at WashU Medicine. It was found that only 1% experienced side effects severe enough to require hospitalization. Those in the earliest stages of the disease experienced the lowest risk of complications.
