Nature Communications Archives
Vanderbilt study finds natural chemical helps brain adapt to stress
Mar. 28, 2017—A natural signaling molecule that activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain plays a critical role in stress-resilience — the ability to adapt to repeated and acute exposures to traumatic stress, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
VUMC investigators find pathogens work together to infect host
Nov. 3, 2016—Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus — two pathogens that frequently co-infect the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis — appear to cooperate with each other, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered. When pseudomonas is starved for metal by the host, it shuts down the production of factors that would normally kill staph, promoting a co-infection.
Study links COPD with increased bacterial invasion
Apr. 28, 2016—Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common smoking-related lung illness and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Scientists have long believed that inhaling toxic gases and particles from tobacco smoke causes inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, leading to the development of COPD.
Melanoma response to immune therapy
Mar. 3, 2016—Melanoma-specific expression of a certain protein identifies tumors that are more responsive to an immune therapy.
Study finds rerouting bile acids may offer simpler alternative to gastric bypass surgery
Jul. 21, 2015—A new surgical procedure could offer a simpler approach to achieve some of the same weight-loss and metabolic benefits associated with gastric bypass surgery, researchers at VUMC report.
Study team uses metabolomics to study longevity
Apr. 30, 2015—The keys to longevity have been a source of curiosity and the basis of many research studies for years, yet the mechanisms underlying a person’s ability to live a long life are still not fully understood.
VU team’s cattle research may yield lung disease clues
Apr. 15, 2015—Vanderbilt University researchers have found a genetic mutation that causes pulmonary hypertension in cattle grazed at high altitude, and which leads to a life-threatening condition called brisket disease.
VU study creates new road map for cellular activity
Sep. 4, 2014—Human cells are constructed in large part from proteins whose activity can be altered by the incorporation of oxygen in what are known as redox modifications.
