immune system

October 12, 2017

Researcher targets peanut allergies with Cohen Fund support

Scott Smith, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine, has received a 2017 research award from the Stanley Cohen Innovation Fund to test a new therapeutic strategy for peanut allergies. Smith’s research could fundamentally change allergy treatment.

By Leigh MacMillan
August 4, 2017

An immune regulator of addiction

Although drug addiction is classically studied in a neuron-centric way, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that the immune system also plays a critical role.

By Sanjay Mishra
August 3, 2017

HDAC3 role in B-cell development

The histone deacetylase HDAC3 is required for the maturation of B cells, white blood cells that produce antibodies.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 8, 2017

Pathology of septic shock

The signaling molecule IL-15 promotes septic shock, a life-threatening condition involving organ injury caused by infection.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 2, 2017

New target for chronic infection

An enzyme in macrophage immune cells may be a good target for treating chronic infections, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 17, 2016

Stem cells promote tolerance

Blood-forming stem cells play a role in immune tolerance and acceptance of organ transplants, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 6, 2016

Madhur lands NIH New Innovator Award

Meena Madhur, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine, has received an NIH New Innovator Award, which is designed to support exceptionally creative, early-career investigators who propose innovative, high-impact projects.
By Leigh MacMillan
June 21, 2016

Vanderbilt and Human Vaccines Project launch initial studies to decode the human immune system

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center this month began recruiting volunteers to participate in a clinical trial aimed at decoding the human “immunome,” the genetic underpinnings of the immune system.
By Bill Snyder
April 5, 2016

Immune defenses in asthma

Vanderbilt researchers show that a certain factor negatively impacts the first-line responder cells in the lungs, providing one explanation for why patients with asthma are at greater risk for invasive bacterial disease.
By Leigh MacMillan
November 12, 2015

Immune system a must for kidney repair

A signaling protein that is essential for recovery from acute kidney injury works by increasing the population of tissue-repairing immune cells.
By Lorena Infante
October 1, 2015

Tolerating a transplant

A new genetic model has generated new strategies for promoting tolerance to transplants – and improving long-term transplant outcomes – in the background of autoimmune disease.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 8, 2015

Immune cells and obesity

Understanding how macrophage immune cells accumulate in fat tissue and contribute to the pathology of obesity could lead to the development of novel therapeutics for metabolic disorders.
By Leigh MacMillan
October 24, 2014

Immune cells’ role in hypertension

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that certain immune cells contribute to the development of hypertension, suggesting novel targets for treating the disease.
By Leigh MacMillan