Research

spine x-rays
April 23, 2015

Study reveals biomarker of post-injury spinal cord function

Vanderbilt University researchers have demonstrated, for the first time in a primate model, that injury disrupts neural signaling in the spinal cord and that these changes can be measured non-invasively with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

By Bill Snyder
doctor and pediatric patient in ICU
April 22, 2015

Best hospital depends on cancer type

Best hospital rankings for cancer do not take into account the fact that cancer reflects many different diseases.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 20, 2015

Boosting beta cells in diabetes

New findings suggest that it might be possible to treat diabetes by regenerating insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 17, 2015

Stuffed animals bring bacteria to OR

Stuffed animals that pediatric patients bring to the operating room are a reservoir of bacteria that can be effectively sterilized in a household washer/dryer the day before surgery.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 16, 2015

Surprising finding in the kidney

TGF-beta signaling in the kidney was thought to be a target for reducing renal fibrosis, but Vanderbilt researchers report that fibrosis still occurs in the absence of TGF-beta signaling.

By Barbara O'Brien
kidney x-ray
April 16, 2015

Study shows statin use improves renal cell cancer survival

A new study led by Vanderbilt University investigators found that patients being treated with statins at the time of surgery for kidney cancer, also known as renal cell carcinoma, had improved overall survival and disease-specific survival.

By VUMC News and Communications
April 15, 2015

VU team’s cattle research may yield lung disease clues

Vanderbilt University researchers have found a genetic mutation that causes pulmonary hypertension in cattle grazed at high altitude, and which leads to a life-threatening condition called brisket disease.
By VUMC News and Communications
April 13, 2015

Vanderbilt study finds babies exposed to narcotic pain relievers more likely to experience drug withdrawal syndrome

Legally prescribed narcotics taken during pregnancy can lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome, especially in combination with tobacco or SSRIs.
By Christina Echegaray
April 9, 2015

VUSM student lands fellowship to study ethics and discipline

Kelly Wolenberg, a third-year medical student at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has been named to take part in the 2015 Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE).
By Jessica Pasley
April 8, 2015

VU joins national effort to speed Ebola therapy testing

Vanderbilt University researchers have joined a multi-center effort led by Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. to accelerate development of potential antibody therapies against the often-lethal Ebola virus.
By Bill Snyder
April 8, 2015

Micelle “packets” deliver cancer drugs

Vanderbilt researchers designed micelle “packets” to selectively deliver anti-cancer drugs to breast cancer cells.
By VUMC News and Communications
April 6, 2015

New player in heart cell growth

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a new protein involved in heart cell growth, which could improve understanding of pathologic cardiac hypertrophy.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 3, 2015

Cancer signaling pathway blocker

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered a new way to inhibit Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, an important regulatory pathway for vertebrate development – and cancer.
By VUMC News and Communications