Department of Pharmacology Archives
A probiotic treatment for obesity?
Aug. 8, 2019—Engineered bacteria that produce beneficial compounds — and that could potentially be administered in foods like yogurt — may be a future treatment for obesity and other chronic diseases.
Defective transporter linked to autism
Jul. 24, 2019—A first-of-its-kind mouse model may help reveal mechanistic underpinnings for the altered behaviors of autism spectrum disorder.
Potassium balance and glaucoma
Jul. 15, 2019—Vanderbilt Eye Institute researchers have discovered that an imbalance in the ionic environment of retinal ganglion cells may contribute to functional impairments in glaucoma.
Former Pharmacology chair Hardman remembered as gifted scientist, educator, mentor
Jul. 2, 2019—Joel Hardman, PhD, an internationally recognized scientist and educator who chaired the Department of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine from 1975 to 1990, died June 30, 2019 in Hoosick Falls, New York, after a lengthy illness. He was 85.
Immune ‘pruning’ in schizophrenia
Apr. 25, 2019—Ariel Deutch and colleagues have discovered that overactive brain immune cells during adolescence may contribute to schizophrenia.
The arrestin-GPCR connection
Apr. 11, 2019—Understanding details of how arrestins deactivate signaling by G-protein coupled receptors is key to the design of new therapeutics aimed at these cellular "inboxes" that are targeted by up to half of all pharmaceuticals.
Keeping bone in its place
Apr. 11, 2019—Jonathan Schoenecker and colleagues have discovered a new mechanism for the formation of bone in soft tissues — a complication of severe injuries that causes pain and limits mobility.
Cancer’s SOS
Mar. 28, 2019—Stephen Fesik and colleagues are advancing cancer drug discovery with the characterization of small molecules that modulate RAS, an important target for anti-cancer therapies.
New way to stimulate learning?
Mar. 14, 2019—Vagus nerve stimulation could be beneficial for treating Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive impairment, Vanderbilt research findings suggest.
Reprogramming cells for kidney repair
Mar. 14, 2019—Using gene transfer technologies to reprogram adult human kidney cells could lead to novel therapies for chronic kidney disease.
Vanderbilt scientists report new modeling of brain signaling
Mar. 7, 2019—The release of neurotransmitters and hormones in the body is tightly controlled by complex protein machinery embedded in cell membranes.
Gene identified that increases risk of antibiotic reaction
Feb. 28, 2019—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and colleagues have identified a gene that increases the risk for a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to the commonly prescribed antibiotic vancomycin.
