Cancer Biology

Justin Balko, Pharm.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology, has been named a member of the 2016 class of Pink Tie Guys by the Greater Nashville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breast cancer research and patient support. Read More

Vanderbilt scientists have discovered a new molecular mechanism that promotes stomach cancer development, findings that could provide new opportunities for treatment. Read More

The rigidity of the bone extracellular matrix increases the ability of tumor cells to destroy bone, suggesting new targets for anticancer drug development. Read More

An antioxidant protein may protect against colon cancer that develops in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, suggesting new strategies for reducing colon cancer risk in these patients. Read More

Marco Davila, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine and of Cancer Biology, has received a grant from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation that will provide $450,000 over three years to help fund his research on therapies for several types of blood disorders, including various forms of leukemia and non-Hodgkin (also known as non-Hodgkin’s) lymphoma. Read More

A new mouse model demonstrates that the Hhex gene – which is linked to blood cancers – is critical for normal blood cell production. Read More

Two physicians from Vanderbilt University have been elected to membership in two of the nation’s oldest and most respected medical honor societies — the Association of American Physicians (AAP) and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). Read More

The NetGestalt computing portal integrates vast amounts of data to aid users in finding biologically and clinically relevant information. Read More

The protein neurofibromin acts as a brake in a signaling pathway that is important in bone development, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a novel mechanism for the development of dendritic spines – sites of nerve cell communication. Read More

Mechanical stress appears to be a critical factor in activating normal tissue-associated fibroblasts to generate cancer-associated fibroblasts. Read More

A specific gene expression profile represents a novel, biologically relevant “signature” for identifying colon cancers with high risk of metastatic recurrence, Vanderbilt researchers have found. Read More

A protein that degrades the “matrix” between cells participates in the development of lung metastases from primary breast cancer in mouse models and may be a good target for breast cancer treatment. Read More

Twelve members of Vanderbilt's faculty have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for their “scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.” Read More

A new mouse model offers insight into the signaling pathways that control oral cancers – and a platform for testing anticancer therapeutics. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have used a computational biology approach to uncover new cancer drivers and biomarkers of anticancer drug response. Read More

The activity of a certain factor in immune cells is essential for an anti-tumor response, emphasizing the need to consider the effects of anti-cancer therapies on immune cells. Read More

Nearly 25 percent of all breast cancers among premenopausal women occur within two to five years following a pregnancy. Read More

The potential for long-range signaling factors – such as those identified in the current study – to regulate stem cell behaviors has implications in tumor progression and metastasis. Read More

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share common genetic underpinnings. Vanderbilt researchers combined high-resolution gene expression studies with gene association data to reveal signaling pathways linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Read More