Infectious Diseases

February 3, 2022

Study finds shorter treatment better for young children with outpatient pneumonia

A Vanderbilt study found that five days of antibiotics is superior to 10 days for children with community-acquired pneumonia who are not hospitalized.

By Craig Boerner
January 6, 2022

Study explores how bacteria become drug resistant

Vanderbilt researchers have revealed more of the inner-workings of a two-stage “molecular motor” in the cell membrane that enables bacteria to become resistant to drugs.

By Bill Snyder
October 4, 2021

Neurologic complications of the flu

Neurologic complications are common in children hospitalized with influenza, especially those with chronic neurologic conditions, and are associated with worse outcomes.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 30, 2021

Molecular imaging of C. diff infection

C. difficile — the leading cause of hospital-associated intestinal infections — induces a rapid influx of bile acids into the gut, which could provide a novel target for blocking infection.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 10, 2021

Caught in a web: study reveals that immune cells cooperate to trap and kill bacteria

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a new antibacterial mechanism that could inspire novel strategies for combating staph and other extracellular bacterial pathogens.

By Leigh MacMillan
July 16, 2021

Study identifies monoclonal antibodies that may neutralize many norovirus variants

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, have taken a big step toward developing targeted treatments and vaccines against a family of viruses that attacks the gastrointestinal tract.

By Bill Snyder
June 23, 2021

Pediatricians see spike in RSV cases, urge parents to be on lookout for symptoms

“We are seeing a spike in respiratory illnesses, especially RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and parainfluenza, which cause croup and bronchiolitis in young children and flu-like symptoms in older children and adults,” said James Antoon, MD, PhD, FAAP, assistant professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
By Jessica Pasley
March 18, 2021

HIV, diabetes and immune cells in fat

In HIV-positive individuals with diabetes, immune cells in fat are more proinflammatory and cytotoxic and may represent a therapeutic target for diabetes.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 8, 2021

Key factors in HIV-1 replication

HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS, exploits inositol phosphates in T cells to aid its own assembly and maturation — suggesting that targeting inositol phosphate binding could inhibit HIV-1 replication.
By Anivarya Kumar
September 17, 2020

Probing pathogen antibiotic resistance

Understanding how bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics and host stresses could guide the development of more effective antimicrobial therapeutics.
By Leigh MacMillan
June 10, 2020

C. diff captures blood cell cofactor to build defensive shield

Vanderbilt University Medical Center scientists have identified a C. diff protein system that senses and captures heme (part of hemoglobin) to build a protective shield that fends off threats from our immune system and antibiotics.
By Leigh MacMillan
June 3, 2020

Study explores how staph bacteria can survive in bone

A comprehensive evaluation of the metabolic pathways that support Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”) growth during invasive bone infections could offer new targets for treatment.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 14, 2020

The adaptable anthrax bacterium

Vanderbilt researchers discover how anthrax bacterium defends itself against structural damage and resists the toxicity of the antimicrobial drug targocil.
By Leigh MacMillan
1 … 6 7 8 9 10 … 13