Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a new type of immune cell residing in the intestinal epithelium that may function as a first line of defense against ingested pathogens.

The potential for long-range signaling factors – such as those identified in the current study – to regulate stem cell behaviors has implications in tumor progression and metastasis.

A person’s mitochondrial gene “signature” could predict risk for diabetic retinopathy and guide early intervention strategies.

Nobel laureate Peter Doherty, Ph.D., who discovered how the immune system recognizes virus-infected cells, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 2.

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share common genetic underpinnings. Vanderbilt researchers combined high-resolution gene expression studies with gene association data to reveal signaling pathways linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Bernard Lo, M.D., president of the Greenwall Foundation and director emeritus of the Program in Medical Ethics at the University of California, San Francisco, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, Sept. 25.