immunology

(courtesy of the CDC)
April 4, 2024

Tick bites and alpha-gal syndrome focus of $3.5M research grant

Vanderbilt’s Scott Smith, MD, PhD, has been awarded a five-year, $3.5 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study the human immune response to tick bites and its role in preventing tick-borne illnesses.

By Paul Govern
March 28, 2024

VUMC team discovers antibodies that may prevent severe respiratory illness

Using a technique developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, researchers identified antibodies that are excellent leads as potential therapies for human parainfluenza virus 3, a leading cause of acute and potentially fatal respiratory illness.

By Bill Snyder
3d rendering white blood cells with red blood cells
March 14, 2024

Immune cell profiles may guide flu vaccine timing in pediatric stem cell transplant patients

A new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers has identified key immune cell populations that predict how well pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients will respond to the influenza vaccine.

By Paul Govern
December 29, 2023

Glucose metabolism influences B cell function

Glucose metabolism influences the qualities of activated, mature B cells — white blood cells that are required for antibody-mediated immune responses, Vanderbilt researchers discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 25, 2023

Immune system’s role in metabolic disease detailed in tissue atlas

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have published the largest known single-site adipose tissue atlas — a comprehensive, detailed map of the cells, structures and molecules within a specific tissue or organ, designed to support open-ended study.

By Paul Govern
Mary Philip, MD, PhD, left, and Michael Rudloff, PhD, found that T cells become “exhausted” within hours of encountering a tumor, challenging existing ideas about how T cells become dysfunctional. (photo by Anthony Czelusniak)
August 3, 2023

Study finds hallmarks of T cell exhaustion within hours of tumor exposure

Vanderbilt researchers found that T cells become “exhausted” within hours of encountering a tumor, challenging existing ideas about how T cells become dysfunctional.

By Leigh MacMillan
June 27, 2023

Rare disorder sheds light on dysbindin function

A case study of a rare disorder uncovers roles for the protein dysbindin in the adaptive immune response and suggests that mutations may underlie some cases of very early onset inflammatory bowel disease.
By Sarah E. Glass
May 4, 2023

Tracking lung macrophages

A new technique will allow researchers to track subsets of immune cells that patrol and defend the lungs, to better understand the roles of these cells during lung inflammation, infection and injury.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 20, 2023

Probing hellbender health

Understanding how hellbenders — large, fully aquatic salamanders — fight fungal pathogens and disease is important for protecting these unique stream predators; Vanderbilt researchers add new insights.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 7, 2023

A new view of a cholesterol carrier

Vanderbilt researchers developed a novel method to measure small RNAs carried by HDL and demonstrated that these molecules circulate in greater concentrations than previously believed and are likely to contribute to communication between immune cells.
By Kelsey Pinckard 
September 12, 2022

Enhancing innate immunity in the lung

Vanderbilt researchers show that a TLR4 agonist improves lung immune response and survival in a mouse model of bacterial pneumonia, supporting the development of this drug to protect against pneumonia in hospitalized patients.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 1, 2022

Study identifies key player in T cell “education”

New Vanderbilt research could inform therapeutic strategies for enhancing thymic function when desired — such as during aging, recovery from radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or other conditions that reduce T cell output.
By Leigh MacMillan
July 20, 2022

Vanderbilt team tracks cellular and antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccine

In a technical tour de force, a collaborative team of Vanderbilt researchers has characterized the antigen-specific immune response to the Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccine.
By Leigh MacMillan
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