Vanderbilt Institute for Infection Immunology and Inflammation (VI4) Archive — Page 4 of 5
-
March 15, 2018
New imaging approach offers unprecedented views of staph infection
A new integrated imaging approach makes it possible to probe the molecules involved in invasive infections and can be broadly applied to any health or disease state. -
January 11, 2018
Lighting up iron levels
A new probe enables iron imaging in living animals, providing a unique tool for studying iron’s contributions to health and disease. -
September 21, 2017
Excess dietary manganese increases risk of staph infection in heart
Too much dietary manganese — an essential trace mineral found in leafy green vegetables, fruits and nuts — promotes infection of the heart by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”). -
July 27, 2017
Investigators use light to kill microbial ‘vampires’
On July 24 Vanderbilt scientist Eric Skaar, Ph.D., MPH, summarized his group’s latest paper in a tweet: “If S. aureus is going to drink our blood like a vampire, let's kill it with sunlight.” -
November 3, 2016
VUMC investigators find pathogens work together to infect host
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. -
September 26, 2016
Study shows excess dietary zinc worsens C. diff infection
Too much dietary zinc increases susceptibility to infection by Clostridium difficile — “C. diff” — the most common cause of hospital-acquired infections. -
November 4, 2015
Detect and defend against pathogens
Understanding factors, such as the receptor TLR9, that detect and defend against pathogens may lead to therapeutic approaches that promote an effective immune response to treat infections.