Department of Cell and Developmental Biology

August 30, 2018

A brain-builder called “Shh”

New findings demonstrate a previously unappreciated role of Shh signaling activity in the proliferation of CGNPs — the presumed cell-of-origin for a subset of the malignant pediatric brain tumor medulloblastoma.

By VUMC News and Communications
August 30, 2018

Gould awarded Sutherland Prize for Achievement in Research

Vanderbilt University’s most prestigious faculty honor for accomplishments in research, scholarship or creative expression was awarded to Kathleen Gould, PhD, during the Fall Faculty Assembly Aug. 23.

By VUMC News and Communications
August 2, 2018

Repairs in the basement membrane

Studies in fruit flies have shed light on how the basement membrane — a sheet-like scaffold that wraps around most animal tissues — is repaired after being damaged.

By Sanjay Mishra
August 2, 2018

How asters form

New findings shed light on the formation of microtubule structures that support cellular processes ranging from cell division to intracellular transport.

By VUMC News and Communications
July 19, 2018

New player in DNA damage repair

New findings open opportunities to understand mechanisms of DNA repair for a toxic form of DNA damage.

By Leigh MacMillan
May 1, 2018

Looking beyond the ‘magic bullet’ approach to drug discovery

Vanderbilt scientists have developed a new process that can rapidly and inexpensively identify personalized cancer drugs derived from nature.

By VUMC News and Communications
April 23, 2018

Toxin floats on lipid rafts

The bacterium H. pylori is a leading cause of stomach cancer, and Vanderbilt researchers are studying how one of its toxins gets into cells.
By Leigh MacMillan
April 19, 2018

MIT’s Orr-Weaver wraps up spring Discovery Lecture series April 26

The spring Flexner Discovery Lecture series wraps up on Thursday, April 26, with a presentation by Terry Orr-Weaver, PhD, professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
By Leigh MacMillan
March 22, 2018

Study tracks protein’s role in stem cell function

MCL-1 is a member of the BCL-2 family of proteins important for blocking apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Many types of cancer cells escape the body’s effort to kill them by overexpressing MCL-1.
By Bill Snyder
February 28, 2018

Structure of a stem cell niche

Understanding the specialized environment where stem cells reside is important for developing stem-cell based regenerative therapies.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 31, 2018

Cell skeleton and the brush border

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a role for microtubules — part of the cellular “skeleton” — in organizing the unique sidedness of the epithelial cells that line organs like the intestines.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 11, 2018

Macara named ‘Pink Tie Guy’ for Komen breast cancer research

Ian Macara, PhD, Louise B. McGavock Professor and Chair of Cell and Developmental Biology and co-leader of the Signal Transduction and Chemical Biology Research Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), has been named one of the Pink Tie Guys for the Susan G. Komen Central Tennessee organization.
By VUMC News and Communications
January 4, 2018

Research sheds light on how microtubules are assembled

Microtubules are the “railroad tracks” essential for moving intracellular “freight” around in the cell. They’re also part of the spindle that pulls the two centrosomes apart during cell division.
By Bill Snyder