immunology

June 27, 2023

Rare disorder sheds light on dysbindin function

A case study of a rare disorder uncovers roles for the protein dysbindin in the adaptive immune response and suggests that mutations may underlie some cases of very early onset inflammatory bowel disease.

By Sarah E. Glass
May 4, 2023

Tracking lung macrophages

A new technique will allow researchers to track subsets of immune cells that patrol and defend the lungs, to better understand the roles of these cells during lung inflammation, infection and injury.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 20, 2023

Probing hellbender health

Understanding how hellbenders — large, fully aquatic salamanders — fight fungal pathogens and disease is important for protecting these unique stream predators; Vanderbilt researchers add new insights.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 7, 2023

A new view of a cholesterol carrier

Vanderbilt researchers developed a novel method to measure small RNAs carried by HDL and demonstrated that these molecules circulate in greater concentrations than previously believed and are likely to contribute to communication between immune cells.

By Kelsey Pinckard 
September 12, 2022

Enhancing innate immunity in the lung

Vanderbilt researchers show that a TLR4 agonist improves lung immune response and survival in a mouse model of bacterial pneumonia, supporting the development of this drug to protect against pneumonia in hospitalized patients.

By Leigh MacMillan
Luc Van Kaer, PhD, left, Luke Postoak and colleagues have identified a protein that is key to the “education” of immature T cells in the thymus.
September 1, 2022

Study identifies key player in T cell “education”

New Vanderbilt research could inform therapeutic strategies for enhancing thymic function when desired — such as during aging, recovery from radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or other conditions that reduce T cell output.

By Leigh MacMillan
July 20, 2022

Vanderbilt team tracks cellular and antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccine

In a technical tour de force, a collaborative team of Vanderbilt researchers has characterized the antigen-specific immune response to the Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccine.
By Leigh MacMillan
June 3, 2022

Food allergy linked to lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection

By Nancy Humphrey
June 2, 2022

Bacterial battle in 3D

Using imaging mass spectrometry and microscopy, Vanderbilt researchers visualized how staph bacteria modifies lipids in its membrane to evade immune system-mediated killing.
By Bill Snyder
April 21, 2022

Youthful healing for burn wounds

Topical treatment of burns with an immunosuppressive drug counteracted the negative effects of aging on wound healing, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
By Sarah E. Glass
March 28, 2022

Study finds 10-second videos predict blood cancer relapse

Vanderbilt research shows that 10-second videos of white blood cell motion in the skin’s microvasculature greatly improved the prediction of which stem cell and bone marrow transplant patients would have a relapse of their blood cancer.
By Paul Govern
March 17, 2022

Blood test figures in cancer risk for people with HIV

A Vanderbilt study found that, among adult patients with HIV, those who have lower counts of certain types of blood cells have a markedly higher risk of developing cancer.
By Paul Govern
November 15, 2021

Who’s who in the respiratory landscape

A metatranscriptomics method developed by Vanderbilt researchers simultaneously characterizes viruses, microbiome and host response in nasal swabs, opening opportunities to explore molecular interactions directly in clinical samples.
By Leigh MacMillan