Leigh MacMillan

Genetic mutations in PMP22 (peripheral myelin protein 22) cause a variety of peripheral neuropathies, underscoring the importance of the protein to a healthy peripheral nervous system. But the precise function of PMP22, a major component of the myelin sheath that surrounds and insulates peripheral nerve cell axons, has been unclear. Read More

Based on findings from Vanderbilt investigators and others, clinical trials of estrogen inhibition for pulmonary arterial hypertension have recently been approved and funded by the National Institutes of Health. Read More

Using bioinformatics approaches, Vanderbilt investigators have identified gene expression networks that are deregulated in mouse and human stomach cancers. Read More

The histone deacetylase HDAC3 is required for the maturation of B cells, white blood cells that produce antibodies. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have found that non-coding regions of the genome appear to contribute to the risk of autoimmune diseases and may represent attractive therapeutic targets. Read More

Signaling through a complex of proteins called mTORC2 plays a role in breast cancer migration, invasion and metastasis, Vanderbilt researchers reported. Read More

Bile acids produced by a western diet alter the composition of the gut microbiota and promote intestinal carcinogenesis. Read More

A new antiviral drug candidate inhibits a broad range of coronaviruses, including the SARS and MERS coronaviruses, a multi-institutional team of investigators reports this week in Science Translational Medicine. Read More

A PET probe that detects the amino acid glutamine predicts whether tumors respond to certain targeted therapies in preclinical animal models. Read More

A novel population of lung stem cells plays an important role in regulating the pulmonary microvasculature — the network of tiny blood vessels where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange takes place. Read More

RSV infection reduces the risk of infection with human rhinovirus, which could have implications for vaccine development and prevention strategies for viral respiratory tract infections in infants. Read More

Interventions that increase circulating levels of compounds called EETs may improve insulin sensitivity and treat hypertension. Read More

Eric Kandel, M.D., who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2000 for discovering molecular mechanisms of memory storage, told the crowd at last week’s Flexner Discovery Lecture that he has recently become interested in memory in the aging brain. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have identified novel regulators of insulin-producing beta-cell proliferation and survival, suggesting new targets for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Read More

Two brain signaling pathways have overlapping functions in regulating anxiety, suggesting that therapeutics aimed at one or the other will impact both. Read More

Nobel laureate Eric R. Kandel, M.D., renowned for his studies of learning and memory, will give the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, May 4. Read More

A new protein structure may guide the development of Alzheimer's therapeutics. Read More

Structural details of a protein that removes DNA lesions shed light on fundamental mechanisms of DNA repair. Read More

A detailed structural and functional analysis of the yeast protein that is the main target of antifungal drugs will help direct efforts to develop better treatments. Read More

James Spudich, Ph.D., renowned for his studies of proteins that function as molecular motors, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, April 6. Read More