American Heart Association

January 4, 2024

Study shows liraglutide results in increased insulin sensitivity independent of weight loss

By Jill Clendening
Heather Pua, MD, PhD, and Neil Sprenkle, PhD, have discovered a protective role for microRNAs in immune cell macrophages during obesity, potentially opening new therapeutic avenues.
September 5, 2023

MicroRNAs in immune cells help protect against metabolic defects in obesity: study

Vanderbilt researchers have demonstrated that a cluster of microRNAs — small pieces of RNA that regulate gene expression — work in a type of immune cells called macrophages to help protect against metabolic defects in obesity.

By Leigh MacMillan
June 8, 2023

Targeting calcium handling in A-fib

The drug ent-verticilide reduced A-fib incidence and duration in an animal model, suggesting it may be a viable therapeutic option.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 20, 2023

Genetics and chronic pain

Polygenic risk scores — scores that reflect the influence of common genetic variants — could be used to predict the likelihood of developing chronic overlapping pain conditions and guide biomarker and targeted prevention efforts.

By Bill Snyder
February 21, 2023

Diabetes drug may improve asthma

New biomarker finding strengthens the case for using GLP-1R agonists to treat patients with Type 2 diabetes who also suffer from asthma.

By Sarah E. Glass
February 16, 2023

Research network yields significant findings related to obesity

By Jill Clendening
January 19, 2023

Low potassium injures kidney

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that low dietary potassium causes direct kidney injury, suggesting potential new targets for treating chronic kidney disease.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 15, 2022

Novel therapeutic target identified for chronic kidney disease

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a molecular mechanism that promotes chronic kidney disease following kidney injury.
By Leigh MacMillan
November 10, 2022

Study defines role of steroids in congenital heart disease surgery

Steroids are commonly given to infants during open-heart surgery to reduce inflammation, but whether the drugs significantly improve patient outcomes has not been settled — until now.
By Bill Snyder
September 1, 2022

Study identifies key player in T cell “education”

New Vanderbilt research could inform therapeutic strategies for enhancing thymic function when desired — such as during aging, recovery from radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or other conditions that reduce T cell output.
By Leigh MacMillan
August 30, 2022

A new mechanism for lupus

Vanderbilt researchers describe a new mechanism for the most common form of lupus and suggest a new treatment approach to this autoimmune disease.
By Leigh MacMillan
July 7, 2022

Preempting sudden cardiac death

A technique to characterize all variants in genes associated with arrhythmia could improve the ability to identify and preemptively treat individuals at risk for sudden cardiac death.
By Bill Snyder
June 16, 2022

BMI genetics influence heart function

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.
By Leigh MacMillan