Research

close up of blood vessels
October 25, 2022

Vascular dysfunction during sepsis

Regulation of the enzyme Sirtuin 1 in blood vessel endothelial cells may drive altered metabolism and vascular dysfunction during sepsis, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 24, 2022

Vanderbilt study finds that the most common oxygen saturation targets for hospitalized patients appear equally safe and effective

A Vanderbilt study looked at the oxygen saturation target that results in optimal outcomes — number of days alive and free of mechanical ventilation — in 2,500 critically ill adults receiving mechanical ventilation.

By Nancy Humphrey
October 24, 2022

Metabolic signatures of Type 2 diabetes risk

Vanderbilt epidemiologists found 32 blood metabolites associated with obesity and showed that adding these to traditional disease prediction models improves accuracy of determining Type 2 diabetes risk.

By Kelsey Pinckard
October 20, 2022

New target for lung fibrosis

Blocking thromboxane-prostanoid receptor signaling protected animals from lung fibrosis in preclinical models, suggesting a new treatment for IPF — a chronic, progressive lung disorder that often kills within 3-5 years of diagnosis.

By Leigh MacMillan
Insulin in vials
October 20, 2022

Aging beta cells hasten Type 2 diabetes

Vanderbilt investigators have found that aging induces chronic cellular stress in pancreatic beta cells, which could contribute to the development of diabetes as we age.

By Bill Snyder
Meena Madhur, MD, PhD, Matthew Alexander, MD, PhD, and colleagues are studying how a common genetic change impacts the development of inflammation and high blood pressure.
October 20, 2022

Study sheds light on the development of inflammation, high blood pressure and resulting kidney damage

By Bill Snyder
October 11, 2022

Skin pigment affects oxygen monitor

Black patients in the ICU were more likely to have low or high blood oxygen levels than white patients, even when a pulse oximeter indicated 92-96% oxygen saturation, Vanderbilt researchers found.
By Sarah E. Glass
October 10, 2022

Counting steps can reduce disease risk: study

A Vanderbilt study found that using a wearable activity tracker to count and increase the number and intensity of steps taken daily can reduce the risk of several common, chronic diseases.
By Bill Snyder
October 10, 2022

Opening a window to glaucoma

A metalloprotease enzyme plays an important role in retinal ganglion cell development, Vanderbilt researchers discovered; studying it and other family members may lead to the identification of novel targets for treating glaucoma.
By Bill Snyder
October 6, 2022

Vanderbilt’s Crowe receives the Building the Foundation Award from Research!America

Vanderbilt's James Crowe Jr., MD, has received the Building the Foundation Award from Research!America, a national biomedical research advocacy organization.
By Bill Snyder
October 6, 2022

Gene tied to childhood epilepsy

Data drawn from four unrelated patients with a childhood epilepsy syndrome — and from in vitro and in vivo studies — link novel variants in a GABA transporter gene to seizure activity, Vanderbilt researchers reported.
By Paul Govern
October 6, 2022

Stress, obesity and food intake

Vanderbilt researchers are elucidating the neuronal pathways that contribute to food consumption in response to stress — “comfort feeding” — and how they differ in males versus females and in the context of obesity.
By Kelsey Pinckard
October 6, 2022

Study finds that reducing intake of simple sugars improves GERD

A Vanderbilt study found that reducing dietary carbohydrates improved both symptoms and objective measurements of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a randomized controlled trial.
By Leigh MacMillan