Research
VUMC-led team isolates antibody that blocks bird flu
Dec. 12, 2019—VUMC scientists are redoubling their efforts to help people fight off bird flu. Their focus is H7N9, one of the most dangerous of the influenza viruses that have been transmitted from birds to humans.
A new anti-seizure target?
Dec. 12, 2019—Vanderbilt neurologists have identified a protein modification that could be targeted to reduce neuronal excitability in epilepsy.
Study examines HIV drug’s potential to treat Alzheimer’s
Dec. 12, 2019—A drug used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS is showing promise as a potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.
New tool may speed antibody, vaccine research
Dec. 12, 2019— by Allison Whitten The antibody discovery and vaccine development research fields may be on the verge of rapidly expanding with data that previously took decades to acquire, thanks to LIBRA-seq, a new tool developed by Vanderbilt University researchers and their colleagues. Currently, due to technological constraints, it can take up to a year to...
Gregor Mendel would be proud
Dec. 12, 2019—A computational method that uses hospital billing codes and electronic health records can identify genetic disease cases before clinical teams do.
Study reveals mysteries of critical brain receptor complex
Dec. 5, 2019—Poorly functioning AMPARs have been linked to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders including seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, major depression and autism spectrum disorder. Understanding how AMPARs are formed and operate is essential for the rational design of pharmacological compounds that, by tuning AMPAR activity up or down, could improve treatment of these conditions.
Genetic screen in worms reveals critical step in insulin synthesis
Dec. 4, 2019—The identification of a protein important for insulin synthesis may hold clues for understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes.
Study finds ‘frozen’ fear response may underlie PTSD
Nov. 27, 2019—To explore how fear becomes entrenched, VUMC researchers traveled down the precise neuronal pathways in the brains of mice that trigger fear responses, and which normally extinguish the behaviors once the danger has passed.
Study explores potential new class of antidepressants
Nov. 21, 2019—Researchers at VUMC have taken a major step that could ultimately facilitate development of a new class of antidepressants which may relieve symptoms more rapidly and effectively and with fewer side effects than current medications.
Getting the goods on obesity
Nov. 19, 2019—Obesity and two post-operative complications linked with it have associated genetic variants in common, suggesting that obesity may be the culprit.
Understanding cell division
Nov. 18, 2019—Vanderbilt researchers have uncovered another piece in the puzzle of how cells divide — a process that goes awry in cancer cells.
SPI-Hub resource delivers intel on biomedical journals
Nov. 14, 2019—SPI-Hub, is a new online knowledge resource that gives biomedical scientists an efficient means to identify journals in which to publish their work.
