Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology Archive

May 9, 2023

Neural networks probe proteins

A machine learning method based on neural networks outperformed a mutational scanning model at identifying disease-causing mutations in an Alzheimer’s disease protein, suggesting the method could be useful for facilitating therapeutic design.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 20, 2023

Genetics and chronic pain

Polygenic risk scores — scores that reflect the influence of common genetic variants — could be used to predict the likelihood of developing chronic overlapping pain conditions and guide biomarker and targeted prevention efforts.

By Bill Snyder
April 12, 2023

Research identifies new target that may prevent blood cancer

An international coalition of biomedical researchers co-led by Vanderbilt’s Alexander Bick, MD, PhD, has determined a new way to measure the growth rate of precancerous clones of blood stem cells that one day could help doctors lower their patients’ risk of blood cancer.

By Bill Snyder
March 28, 2023

Inflammation implicated in exfoliation syndrome

Computational genetics tools have implicated inflammatory pathways in exfoliation syndrome, the most common cause of secondary glaucoma, which can result in blindness.

By Leigh MacMillan
Research by Mingjian Shi, PhD, left, Jonathan Mosley, MD, PhD, Kerry Schaffer, MD, MSCI, and colleagues found that polygenic risk score does not improve prediction of aggressive prostate cancer.
March 16, 2023

Study evaluates polygenic risk score for prostate cancer risk prediction

A Vanderbilt study found that prostate cancer polygenic risk score has limited utility for enhancing prostate cancer screening.

By Leigh MacMillan
The research team included, from left, Hannah Poisner, Sydney Olson, J. Brett Heimlich, MD, PhD, Ningning Hu, MS, Alyssa Parker, Alexander Bick, MD, PhD, Joseph Van Amburg and Tara Mack.
February 2, 2023

Researchers clarify role of blood cell mutations in disease

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a new method to analyze mutations in blood stem cells that can trigger explosive, clonal expansions of abnormal cells.

By Bill Snyder