Research
HDL-cholesterol and breast cancer risk
Jan. 23, 2020—Genetic analyses suggest that high circulating HDL-cholesterol levels may increase breast cancer risk — a surprising finding since increased HDL-cholesterol is thought to be healthy.
Vanderbilt-led team discovers new genetic disease and defines underlying mechanism
Jan. 13, 2020—An international research team has discovered a new genetic syndrome caused by mutation of a single gene and named it CATIFA, an acronym for its core symptoms.
Zinc uptake by a deadly pathogen
Jan. 13, 2020—The increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii requires zinc to cause infection, and Vanderbilt researchers have identified the zinc uptake system it uses.
Bone matrix changes during aging
Jan. 10, 2020—Changes to the bone matrix that occur during aging may point to novel targets for treating osteoporosis.
Structural views of a C. diff toxin
Jan. 10, 2020—D. Borden Lacy and colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy to define the structure of a C. diff toxin, providing a framework for the design of novel therapeutics.
Kavalali receives Humboldt Research Award
Dec. 31, 2019—Ege T. Kavalali, PhD, professor and acting chair of the Department of Pharmacology in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has been elected a recipient of a prestigious Humboldt Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany.
Tennessee Receives Grant from Federal Government to Address Opioid Crisis
Dec. 20, 2019—The Division of TennCare will partner with VUMC as part of the MOM program focusing on 26 rural and urban counties to improve the outcomes for women with opioid use disorder and their infants.
Hepatitis C–positive donors a viable option to expand heart donor pool
Dec. 20, 2019—Hepatitis C-positive heart donors offer a strategy to safely expand the donor pool and allow more patients to undergo transplant.
Reversing stress-related anxiety
Dec. 20, 2019—Inhibiting COX-2 — an enzyme associated with inflammation — could provide a novel therapeutic approach for stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Cell fate signaling
Dec. 17, 2019—A newly identified protein interaction that affects cell cycle regulation may be an attractive target for cancer therapy.
Protein dynamics in the beating heart
Dec. 16, 2019—To study the dynamics of structural proteins in the heart, Vanderbilt investigators generated a cellular tool they expect will be useful for screening drugs that affect heart muscle contraction.
The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics advises evaluating all breast cancer patients to determine the need for genetic testing
Dec. 13, 2019—According to a statement on behalf of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, there is insufficient evidence to recommend universal genetic testing for BRCA1/2 alone or in combination with multi-gene panels for all breast cancer patients.
