Reporter July 18 2014
Natural killer cells don’t clear HMPV
Jul. 23, 2014—Understanding how the immune system responds to the respiratory virus HMPV is crucial for developing vaccines and anti-viral treatments.
Reversing stress-induced anxiety
Jul. 21, 2014—Augmenting the signals of natural “endocannabinoids” in the brain may be a promising approach for treating mood and anxiety disorders.
Neural receptor for reovirus
Jul. 18, 2014—A newly identified receptor allows mammalian reovirus to infect neurons, shedding light on factors important for viral encephalitis.
Breast tissue growth protein may promote cancer: study
Jul. 17, 2014—A protein essential for growth of normal breast tissue also may play a role in breast cancer, Vanderbilt University researchers have found.
Study examines therapeutic bacteria’s ability to prevent obesity
Jul. 17, 2014—Engineered bacteria that produce a therapeutic compound in the gut prevent obesity in mice, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.
Study identifies antibody that may fight MPV, RSV
Jul. 17, 2014—New Vanderbilt-led research published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases has identified an antibody that shows promise in preventing and treating human metapneumovirus (MPV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — the two leading causes of respiratory infections in young children.
New services tackle childhood infectious diseases
Jul. 17, 2014—Two new services focused on treating infectious diseases in children started this month at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, including one that cares solely for children with compromised immune systems.
Lovly’s research bolstered by lung cancer foundation
Jul. 17, 2014—The LUNGevity Foundation has awarded a 2014 Career Development Award for Translational Research to Christine Lovly, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology.
Care for newborns with drug withdrawal uneven: study
Jul. 17, 2014—In the United States, one infant is born each hour with drug withdrawal, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), after being exposed to opioid medications like oxycodone in utero.
VICC’s Abramson lands breast cancer clinical research award
Jul. 17, 2014—Vandana Abramson, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine and a breast cancer specialist at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, has received the Advanced Clinical Research Award in Breast Cancer from the Conquer Cancer Foundation (CCF).
VU students land scholarships from LGBTQ foundation
Jul. 17, 2014—Two Vanderbilt students — Ishan Asokan and Kale Edmiston — have been named to the 2014 Class of Point Foundation Scholars.
Hospital plaza set to undergo major restoration
Jul. 17, 2014—After little change since its construction in 1977, one of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s most familiar landmarks, the plaza behind Vanderbilt University Hospital (VUH), is undergoing restoration.