Aliquots - Research Briefs

March 17, 2016

ROCKs and cancer invasion

The rigidity of the microenvironment around cancer cells drives invasive behavior through distinct ROCK signaling pathways, which could guide the development of specific anti-invasive therapies.

By Sanjay Mishra
March 9, 2016

Eye of a cytokine storm

A new animal model can be used to “dissect” the inflammatory response to infection.

By Bill Snyder
March 8, 2016

Fat hormone’s role in zebrafish

The hormone leptin regulates glucose balance, but not fat stores, in zebrafish.

By Leigh MacMillan
March 7, 2016

A clue to cell cleavage

Actin and microtubule cytoskeletons are coordinated during cytokinesis – the process that separates one cell into two and is linked to events underlying cancer.

By Sanjay Mishra
March 3, 2016

Melanoma response to immune therapy

Melanoma-specific expression of a certain protein identifies tumors that are more responsive to an immune therapy.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 24, 2016

Liver balancing act

Vanderbilt researchers have defined a mechanism that limits liver cell proliferation after injury in order to preserve critical metabolic functions.

By VUMC News and Communications
February 23, 2016

Hypertension hiatus

New findings offer a potential strategy for preventing heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension.
By Bill Snyder
February 19, 2016

Face recognition and social anxiety

An inability to recognize faces may be an important mechanism underlying social inhibition and may contribute to, or maintain, social anxiety.
By Sanjay Mishra
February 18, 2016

Combining treatments for melanoma

Combining therapies for melanoma that induce cell senescence and that activate the immune response may improve outcomes for patients.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 10, 2016

Overcoming lung cancer drug resistance

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a way to overcome the resistance of some lung cancers to certain targeted therapies, which could lead to more effective treatments for lung cancer patients.
By Marilyn Holt
February 9, 2016

Therapies to prevent preterm birth

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a high-throughput assay that will aid in identifying new compounds to treat preterm labor or postpartum bleeding.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 8, 2016

Building intestinal brush borders

Studies of the molecular complex that helps build specialized cellular surfaces could shed light on the mechanisms underlying a genetic deaf-blindness syndrome accompanied by intestinal disease.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 5, 2016

Dynamics of a drug resistance transporter

Vanderbilt investigators are exploring the shape changes in a multidrug transporter to understand the mechanisms of antibacterial resistance.
By VUMC News and Communications