Aliquots - Research Briefs

December 17, 2014

Target for atherosclerosis therapies

A newly identified “atheroprotective” gene is a tool for exploring plaque pathophysiology and may be a good target for therapies to slow atherosclerosis progression.

By Leigh MacMillan
December 16, 2014

Retinal neuron survival in glaucoma

Understanding how the protein TRPV1 helps neurons survive after glaucoma-related stressors could lead to new therapeutic strategies for glaucoma and other neurodegenerative conditions.

By Leigh MacMillan
December 11, 2014

Bacterial secretion machinery: 3-D view

New structural findings reveal how “gatekeeper” proteins participate in the secretion systems bacteria use to infect host cells.

By Leigh MacMillan
November 26, 2014

New tools to probe manganese biology

Vanderbilt researchers have developed tools to probe the role of the essential metal manganese in neurons, and which offer a started point for developing therapeutic agents for manganese-related neurological disorders.

By Leigh MacMillan
November 25, 2014

Protein implicated in atherosclerosis

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a new target for the prevention of atherosclerotic plaque development and cardiovascular disease.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 24, 2014

Gene influences allergies in asthma

A particular gene is associated with a specific type of inflammatory response in people with asthma – a finding that could suggest new therapeutic targets for treating asthma.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 21, 2014

Host sequesters zinc to control stomach bug

Understanding how zinc and the host’s immune response control H. pylori’s cancer-causing potential could suggest new therapeutic strategies to reduce infection and cancer risk.
By Leigh MacMillan
November 12, 2014

New insight on oral cancer culprits

A new mouse model offers insight into the signaling pathways that control oral cancers – and a platform for testing anticancer therapeutics.
By Elizabeth Conrad
November 11, 2014

Protein “pockets” help ID cancer genes

Vanderbilt investigators have used a computational biology approach to uncover new cancer drivers and biomarkers of anticancer drug response.
By Bill Snyder
November 7, 2014

Overactive stress response in obesity

An overactive stress response contributes to the development of insulin resistance in obese individuals, and blocking it may be therapeutically beneficial.
By VUMC News and Communications
November 6, 2014

Immune cell activity and melanoma

The activity of a certain factor in immune cells is essential for an anti-tumor response, emphasizing the need to consider the effects of anti-cancer therapies on immune cells.
By VUMC News and Communications
October 29, 2014

Key to prostate cancer resistance

A combination of two types of therapy may be more effective in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer.
By VUMC News and Communications
October 28, 2014

Peptide quells “genomic storm”

A cell-penetrating peptide developed at Vanderbilt blocks the signaling pathways that lead to lethal shock caused by bacterial infection.
By T.J. Utset