Research

June 2, 2016

New software tracks cancer mutations, survival

A team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has developed and tested software that scans electronic health records in real time to monitor cancer patient survival (from time of diagnosis) according to which genes, if any, are found to carry mutations.

By Paul Govern
ashtray full of cigarette butts
May 17, 2016

Study finds menthol cigarettes do not further increase smokers’ cardiovascular disease, stroke risk

Smoking is deleterious to health, but smokers who prefer menthol cigarettes to nonmenthol can breathe a sigh of relief…for now.

By Kathy Whitney
child sick to his stomach
April 28, 2016

Study sheds light on link between autism, GI issues

Researchers at Columbia and Vanderbilt universities have made an important discovery in mice that has implications for understanding the gastrointestinal (GI) problems experienced by some children with autism.

By Bill Snyder
April 28, 2016

Vanderbilt Prize lecture details ‘Goldilocks Principle’

When it comes to the brain, levels of molecules involved in neuronal signaling must be “just right,” or things can go terribly wrong.

By Bill Snyder
April 14, 2016

Zoghbi to explore Rett Syndrome at upcoming Vanderbilt Prize Lecture

Huda Zoghbi, M.D., recipient of the 2015 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science, will deliver her Vanderbilt Prize Lecture on Thursday, April 21.

By Bill Snyder
alarm clock
March 17, 2016

Study suggests cancer’s ‘clock’ can be rewound

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have “turned back the clock” in a mouse model of metaplasia — precancerous stomach lesions — raising hopes that gastric cancer, a worldwide scourge that’s rising in the United States, can be prevented.

By Bill Snyder
February 4, 2016

Prostate cancer survivors’ risk of heart disease studied

The 3 million prostate cancer survivors in the United States are likely to die from something other than cancer, thanks to early detection, effective treatment and the disease’s slow progression.
By Kathy Whitney
January 27, 2016

Study identifies new culprit in lung cancer development

A microRNA — a small piece of RNA involved in regulating gene expression — functions as an oncogene to drive the development of lung cancer, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 21, 2016

Antibodies may be ‘silver bullet’ for Ebola viruses

There may be a “silver bullet” for Ebola, a family of hemorrhagic viruses, one of which has killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa in the past two years.
By Bill Snyder
January 21, 2016

New targets for diabetic retinopathy

Certain protein factors have been identified as attractive targets for treating diabetic retinopathy, a major cause of blindness in adults.
By VUMC News and Communications
January 21, 2016

McLaughlin named a reviewing editor for neuroscience journal

BethAnn McLaughlin, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been invited to serve as a reviewing editor for the Journal of Neuroscience, the flagship publication of the Society of Neuroscience, one of the world’s largest scientific societies.
By Bill Snyder
January 14, 2016

Crystal structure reveals secrets of virulent bacterium

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have obtained the crystal structure of a toxin from the bacterium Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”) — the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States.
By Bill Snyder
January 12, 2016

Study shows veteran, civilian patients at risk of ICU-related PTSD

In a first-of-its-kind study of veterans and civilians, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that one in 10 patients is at risk of having a new post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following their time in the intensive care unit (ICU).
By VUMC News and Communications