Author: Leigh MacMillan
Vanderbilt team tracks cellular and antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccine
Jul. 20, 2022—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.
Probing the tumor microenvironment
Jul. 12, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers used single-cell sequencing, imaging, and computational approaches to characterize the colonic tumor microenvironment, providing important insights to the components that play roles in colorectal tumor pathogenesis.
Mathers Foundation award supports study of crosstalk between skeletal, immune systems
Jul. 7, 2022—Vanderbilt's Jim Cassat, MD, PhD, has received a three-year, $750,000 award from the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation to support research exploring the interplay between bone homeostasis and infectious disease.
Ginseng intake and mortality
Jun. 20, 2022—Regular ginseng intake, particularly over a long duration, is associated with decreased risk of death from all causes, Vanderbilt researchers discovered in a large epidemiological study.
BMI genetics influence heart function
Jun. 16, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that a genetic predisposition to elevated body mass index increases the risk of diastolic dysfunction — a cardiac condition that can lead to heart failure.
Pediatric acute care use by ZIP code
Jun. 7, 2022—Children with complex chronic conditions who live in low opportunity areas utilize more acute care and could benefit from hospital- and community-based interventions aimed at equitably improving child health outcomes.
Diabetes, cardiovascular drug targets
May. 24, 2022—Targeting receptors of the inflammatory lipid signaling molecule PGE2 may offer a new way to tackle both Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
Genetics and blood pressure
May. 19, 2022—Including polygenic risk scores for blood pressure may improve predictive models to identify people at risk for treatment-resistant hypertension.
Study identifies first cellular “chaperone” for zinc, sheds light on worldwide public health problem of zinc deficiency
May. 17, 2022—A team led by Vanderbilt researchers has described and characterized the first zinc metallochaperone: a protein that puts zinc into other “client” proteins.
Gene variants and transplant drug dose
May. 9, 2022—Genotyping multiple enzymes that metabolize the immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus — common used for lung transplant recipients — is important for correct dosing of the drug, Vanderbilt researchers found.
VUMC team discovers how bacterial pathogen survives without water
May. 5, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers are studying a bacterial pathogen that can survive on hospital surfaces — without water — for months, an ability that has helped it become a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections.
COVID-associated bleeding risk
May. 5, 2022—While case reports have noted acquired hemophilia after COVID-19 infection or vaccination, a new study finds no increased risk.