Health And Medicine
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Team identifies ‘switch’ involved in DNA replication
DNA replication is an extraordinarily complex multi-step process that makes copies of the body’s genetic blueprint. It is necessary for growth and essential to life. Now researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Vanderbilt University have found evidence that one of those steps may involve the telephone-like transmission of electrical signals regulated by a chemical “switch.” Read MoreFeb 23, 2017
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A target to heal tiny lungs
The protein beta-catenin may be a good target for therapies to treat lung disease that is a common complication of preterm birth. Read MoreFeb 23, 2017
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Risk of death in sickle cell disease
Two factors commonly used to evaluate patients with sickle cell disease are associated with each other and can predict increased mortality, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read MoreFeb 22, 2017
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Laughing gas for labor
Although nitrous oxide was less effective than epidural anesthesia for pain management during labor, mothers who used nitrous oxide were equally satisfied with their childbirth experience. Read MoreFeb 21, 2017
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Improving therapies for GI tumors
A signaling protein overexpressed in upper gastrointestinal cancers is an attractive therapeutic target. Read MoreFeb 20, 2017
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Team’s study uncovers cellular responses to bird flu vaccine
New research from Vanderbilt University eavesdrops on gene expression in human immune system cells before and after vaccination against bird flu. Read MoreFeb 16, 2017
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Norman selected as national ambassador for nursing research advocacy
Linda D. Norman, dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and Valere Potter Menefee Professor of Nursing, has been named ambassador for the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research, an independent nonprofit organization that advocates for nursing science and its role in promoting the health and well-being of Americans. Read MoreFeb 15, 2017
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Using the Internet for good
Terrah Foster Akard is helping children facing serious and life-threatening illness create a digital record of their lives, and measuring the impact the practice has on their emotional wellbeing. Read MoreFeb 14, 2017
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Team isolates new antibodies that may aid RSV vaccine design
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have taken another step toward developing a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the major cause of life-threatening pneumonia in infants worldwide. Read MoreFeb 9, 2017
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Social risk factors influence outcomes, Medicare payment
Social risk factors including income, education and ethnic background influence health outcomes and should be taken into account in Medicare payment models, according to a New England Journal of Medicine “Perspective” titled “Social Risk Factors and Equity in Medicare Payment.” Read MoreFeb 8, 2017
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Pathology of septic shock
The signaling molecule IL-15 promotes septic shock, a life-threatening condition involving organ injury caused by infection. Read MoreFeb 8, 2017
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Dementia linked to diet
Some memory deficits observed in Alzheimer’s disease may be due to co-morbid illnesses – not the disease itself – and may be reversed by lifestyle changes or pharmacologic interventions. Read MoreFeb 7, 2017
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Bacterial signaling systems
Vanderbilt researchers have identified a unique example of communication between bacterial signaling systems, which may have relevance for antibiotic resistance. Read MoreFeb 3, 2017
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New target for chronic infection
An enzyme in macrophage immune cells may be a good target for treating chronic infections, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read MoreFeb 2, 2017
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Gene mutation discovery may hold autism clues: study
Researchers at Vanderbilt have identified what may be a genetic “smoking gun” for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — a mutation in the gene for the critical neuronal protein CaMKII. Read MoreFeb 2, 2017
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New Physician Science Doctoral Program graduates first student
As a fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Bradley Richmond, M.D., saw a lot of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disease caused most often by long-term exposure to cigarette smoke. Read MoreFeb 2, 2017
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Studies find tonsillectomies offer only modest benefits
Removing tonsils modestly reduced throat infections in the short term in children with moderate obstructive sleep-disordered breathing or recurrent throat infections, according to a systematic review conducted by the Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Read MoreJan 26, 2017
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Flu vaccine response in older adults
High dose flu vaccine boosts the immune response in older adults by increasing activation of certain immune cells. Read MoreJan 25, 2017
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Saliva test for obesity risk
“Epigenetic signatures” in DNA may present an opportunity for prevention of or early intervention in childhood obesity. Read MoreJan 24, 2017
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Improving vaccine formulations
The compound MPLA is an attractive vaccine component, designed to elicit a robust immune response. Read MoreJan 20, 2017