Department of Pathology Microbiology and Immunology

May 4, 2015

Kids more likely to react to blood transfusions

Pediatric patients have a significantly higher incidence of transfusion reactions compared to adults, according to a study by Vanderbilt University researchers.

By Bill Snyder
April 30, 2015

RNA defects in multiple sclerosis

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that profound defects exist in the integrity of structural RNA molecules in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 16, 2015

Cates lands grant to study desmoid tumor genetic factors

The Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation (DTRF) has awarded Justin Cates, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, with one of its five research grants for his work studying growth/recurrence determinants related to genetic factors in desmoid-type fibromatosis (DTF) patients.

By Craig Boerner
March 19, 2015

Skaar elected to American Academy of Microbiology

By Bill Snyder
February 24, 2015

Contributors to coronavirus ‘fitness’

Understanding the role that host membrane modification plays in coronavirus replication is essential for developing novel approaches to block the viruses that cause SARS and MERS.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 10, 2015

Targeting HIV’s “cap”

New findings underscore the attractiveness of the HIV capsid – the structure that encloses the viral genome – as a therapeutic target.

By VUMC News and Communications
January 5, 2015

Vanderbilt-led team studies blood test for prostate cancer

Vanderbilt University researcher William Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues in Germany and Canada have demonstrated a method for detecting “cell-free” tumor DNA in the bloodstream.
By Bill Snyder
December 17, 2014

Target for atherosclerosis therapies

A newly identified “atheroprotective” gene is a tool for exploring plaque pathophysiology and may be a good target for therapies to slow atherosclerosis progression.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 11, 2014

Bacterial secretion machinery: 3-D view

New structural findings reveal how "gatekeeper" proteins participate in the secretion systems bacteria use to infect host cells.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 4, 2014

Physician-scientist is dream job for Vanderbilt’s Cassat

Jim Cassat, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric infectious disease specialist who joined the Vanderbilt faculty this summer, loves taking care of children with bone infections and doing research to understand the host-pathogen interactions during these invasive infections.
By Leigh MacMillan
November 24, 2014

Twelve Vanderbilt faculty elected AAAS fellows

Twelve members of Vanderbilt's faculty have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for their “scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.”
By Bill Snyder
November 21, 2014

Host sequesters zinc to control stomach bug

Understanding how zinc and the host’s immune response control H. pylori’s cancer-causing potential could suggest new therapeutic strategies to reduce infection and cancer risk.
By Leigh MacMillan
October 16, 2014

Staph ‘gangs’ share nutrients during infection: study

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can share resources to cause chronic infections, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered. The findings shed light on a long-standing question in infectious diseases and may inform new treatment strategies.
By Leigh MacMillan