Researchers identify gene for insulin-dependent diabetes

Discovery might affect treatment of the disease's more common forms

Studying blood samples from six families affected by the disorder, the investigators found that mutations in a gene on chromosome 4 cause a disorder called Wolfram Syndrome. The disorder is characterized by insulin-dependent diabetes and vision problems, with eventual blindness. The syndrome also can include diabetes insipidus -- a pituitary gland disorder associated with intense thirst and the need to excrete large amounts of urine. Some people with Wolfram Syndrome also lose their hearing.

The disorder is caused by mutations in a single gene called WFS1, the researchers found. Identification of that gene could provide important information about several disorders, but the investigators are particularly excited about how it might affect the understanding and treatment of the more common forms of diabetes, which affect more than 20 million people in the United States.

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Evens chosen president of radiology group

Before becoming president, Evens served as chairman of the Board of Chancellors for the ACR, a major national medical association with more than 31,000 members. The association is dedicated to advancing the science of radiology, improving radiological services to patients and promoting the enhancement of medical training for radiologists and other health professionals.

Evens also serves as radiologist-in-chief at Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals and as an adjunct professor of medical economics at the medical school. He is internationally known for his expertise in diagnostic radiology and is past president of the American Roentgen Ray Society, the Association of University Radiologists and the Missouri Radiological Society.

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Binder to study hip fracture recovery in older adults

Ellen F. Binder, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, has received a five-year $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the recovery of older adults after a hip fracture.

Binder says more than 200,000 older adults fracture hips every year. "Up to 80 percent of patients do not have a complete recovery after a hip fracture," she said. "Many patients remain at high risk for a recurrent fracture even after a course of physical therapy, and some sustain permanent loss of independence."

Binder's group will develop and test an intensive exercise and rehabilitation program to determine whether it can prevent or minimize disability after a hip fracture.

"For most hip-fracture patients, physical therapy is discontinued when the person is able to walk independently," Binder said. "But being able to walk across a room doesn't mean that the person can perform necessary life functions or return to social or recreational activities."

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RideShare Week offers host of activities

The Washington University Medical Center Transportation Management Association (TMA) is sponsoring RideShare Week from Monday, Oct. 12, through Friday, Oct. 16, and is hosting a variety of activities.

Some of these include a Bicycle Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the Clinical Sciences Research Building link; a Ted Drewes treat for all registered carpoolers and vanpoolers; and, for those who pledge to rideshare, a raffle drawing for weekend getaways, a bicycle and movie passes.

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Sequencing center hosts conference

The School of Medicine's Genome Sequencing Center is hosting the Fifth International Conference on Automation in Mapping and DNA Sequencing Wednesday, Oct. 7, through Saturday, Oct. 10, in the Eric P. Newman Center. At 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, there will be a banquet at St. Louis' City Museum. At 9 p.m., James D. Watson, Ph.D., president of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and co-discoverer of the genetic code, will speak about the future of genome sequencing.

The conference is attracting leaders in the Human Genome Project, which aims to decipher the DNA blueprints of humans and several experimental organisms. About 200 researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Australia will attend.

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