Reporter Aug 21 2020
Blocking tumor ‘signals’ and ‘fuel’
Aug. 25, 2020—Combining two drugs reduced colorectal cancer cell growth in vitro and in an animal model, suggesting the combination may be a promising treatment for patients.
Land of plenty (of opioids)
Aug. 24, 2020—Surgical patients are being given more opioids than they need for postsurgical pain management, raising the risk of addiction.
VUMC awarded $34 million to lead nationwide convalescent plasma study
Aug. 21, 2020—Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been awarded a one-year, $34-million grant by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, to conduct a nationwide study of “convalescent plasma” as a treatment for COVID-19.
Salt, immune cells and hypertension
Aug. 20, 2020—Excess dietary salt activates immune cells to induce inflammation and hypertension, supporting current recommendations for low sodium consumption.
A “torque” for tumor blood vessels
Aug. 20, 2020—Vanderbilt scientists have discovered a new target for normalizing tumor blood vessels to improve cancer immunotherapies.
‘Scavenger’ molecule may point to new atherosclerosis treatment
Aug. 20, 2020—A small-molecule “scavenger” that reduces inflammation and formation of atherosclerotic plaque in blood vessels in mice potentially could lead to a new approach for treating atherosclerosis in humans, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Kennedy Center receives grant to continue as IDDRC
Aug. 20, 2020—The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) has been awarded a $6.8 million, five-year grant to continue as a national Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC).
Study identifies antibodies that block alphaviruses
Aug. 20, 2020—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified antibodies that, in animals, block infection by alphaviruses, which can cause chronic and debilitating joint pain and arthritis and are an increasing global health concern.
Hope On Wheels grant to enhance retinoblastoma research
Aug. 20, 2020—Anthony Daniels, MD, MSc, has been awarded a $300,000 Hyundai Hope On Wheels Scholar Grant to study the design of more precise drugs to treat retinoblastoma, the most common ocular cancer in children.
Nominations sought for VUMC Hidden Figures
Aug. 20, 2020—Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Office for Diversity Affairs is seeking nominations for 2020 Hidden VUMC Figures, which will be held as an online event on Monday, Nov. 2.
Positive results for VUMC service education initiative
Aug. 19, 2020—In October 2018, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Defining Personalized Care — Elevating Our Culture of Service initiative was launched, and leaders are applauding the service education’s reinforcement of positive behaviors for improved delivery of service to each other, to patients and to their family members.
New physician spotlight: Joel “Trey” Bradley III
Aug. 18, 2020—Joel “Trey” Bradley III, MD, has joined the Vanderbilt University Medical Center surgical faculty after practicing as a general surgeon at Premier Surgical Associates in Knoxville, Tennessee. He began seeing patients July 1.
