immunology

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
The study team included (front row, from left) Kelsey Voss, PhD, Rachel Bonami, PhD, Erin Wilfong, MD, PhD, (back row, from left) Jonathan Irish, PhD, Jeff Rathmell, PhD, and Ivelin Georgiev, PhD.
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
November 11, 2021

CRISPR screen identifies new anti-inflammatory drug target

A novel CRISPR screen developed by Vanderbilt researchers identified a promising new target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 16, 2021

‘Pre-conditioning’ restores immune tolerance

A treatment targeting T-cell metabolism could reinvigorate immune tolerance mechanisms to combat autoimmune disease and transplant rejection, Vanderbilt researchers discovered.
By Bill Snyder
September 10, 2021

Caught in a web: study reveals that immune cells cooperate to trap and kill bacteria

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a new antibacterial mechanism that could inspire novel strategies for combating staph and other extracellular bacterial pathogens.
By Leigh MacMillan
August 24, 2021

Autoimmunity advance

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a high-throughput screening method to identify and characterize antigen-specific B cells — potential biomarkers for autoimmune disease and targets for new treatments.
By Leigh MacMillan
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