Health And Medicine
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Study uses AI to sort patient messages by complexity
Taking an interest in electronic message threads between surgical patients and their health care teams, a research group at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has tested how well certain commonly used machine learning algorithms can classify such exchanges according to their clinical decision-making complexity. Read MoreAug 27, 2020
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A potential new targeted therapy for metastatic melanoma
While 60 percent of people with metastatic melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer, have multiple treatment options available to them, roughly 40 percent either do not respond to treatment, or relapse. Read MoreAug 19, 2020
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Discovery of natural compound may help fend off antibiotic resistance of hard-to-treat infections
A bifunctional natural compound has been discovered with the potential to make antibiotic resistance to deadly infections less likely. Read MoreAug 19, 2020
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Risk marker for repeat sinus surgery
An inflammatory factor in mucus could be a biomarker of treatment-resistant chronic sinusitis used to determine which patients are at risk for repeat sinus surgery. Read MoreAug 11, 2020
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Miscarriage risk increases each week alcohol is used in early pregnancy
Each week a woman consumes alcohol during the first five to 10 weeks of pregnancy is associated with an incremental 8% increase in risk of miscarriage, according to a study published this week by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers. Read MoreAug 10, 2020
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A step toward cancer prevention
A computational technique that combines the effect of multiple genomic variants has the potential to identify high-risk individuals for cancer prevention. Read MoreAug 10, 2020
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ID of ‘stomach flu’ culprit
Identifying the norovirus genotypes associated with more severe infections in children could guide strain selection for candidate norovirus vaccines. Read MoreAug 6, 2020
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The importance of estrogen cycles
Deborah Lannigan and colleagues identify a key regulator of the estrogen receptor and suggest that its downregulation by oral contraceptives may increase oxidative stress and DNA damage, a common cause of cancer. Read MoreAug 6, 2020
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Team to create customizable cochlear implant programming
A team of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers has received a $3.1 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop advanced, patient-specific cochlear implant stimulation models for customized implant programming. Read MoreAug 6, 2020
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Siciliano wins Fay/Frank Seed Grant and Alkermes Pathways Research Award
Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Cody Siciliano has been awarded the Fay/Frank Seed Grant from the Brain Research Foundation and the Alkermes Pathways Research Award from the biopharmaceutical company Alkermes. Both awards support early-stage researchers pursuing high-risk, high-impact innovative research so that their work may become competitive for NIH grants and other types of funding in the future. Read MoreAug 5, 2020
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Pseudoislet system expected to advance pancreas and diabetes research
The multicellular, 3-D structure of human pancreatic islets — the areas of the pancreas containing hormone-producing or endocrine cells — has presented challenges to researchers as they study and manipulate these cells’ function, but Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have now developed a pseudoislet system that allows for much easier study of islet function. Read MoreJul 30, 2020
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Protein study may be key to treating fibrotic diseases
A protein linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological disease that causes muscle weakness, may be a key to treating fibrotic disease of the kidneys and other organs, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported recently. Read MoreJul 30, 2020
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Streamlined diagnostic approach to COVID-19 can avoid potential testing logjam
Vanderbilt biomedical engineers have developed COVID-19 tests immune to supply chain shortages. Read MoreJul 29, 2020
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Post-transplant complication
Vanderbilt researchers conducted the largest analysis to date of a heart complication in children following stem cell transplant. The findings may help guide screening practices to improve outcomes. Read MoreJul 28, 2020
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Soy food, metabolism and the microbiome
Consumption of soy foods may shape the microbiome and protect against hypertension only in individuals with soy-responsive microbiota, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read MoreJul 27, 2020
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Vanderbilt develops computational method to explore evolution’s influence on preterm birth
The first comprehensive study of how diverse evolutionary forces influence the leading cause of infant mortality is led by Vanderbilt researchers. Read MoreJul 24, 2020
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Stomach bug hit-and-run
The H. pylori machinery that “injects” an oncoprotein into stomach cells contributes to the development of gastric cancer, Vanderbilt researchers demonstrate. Read MoreJul 23, 2020
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VUMC’s program to repurpose drugs lands international acclaim
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is attracting international attention for its proposal to repurpose existing drugs for new uses in ways that can dramatically improve access to medicines by billions of people throughout the world. Read MoreJul 23, 2020
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Cellular antiviral defenses
A cellular RNA quality control mechanism was known to restrict replication of RNA viruses. Vanderbilt researchers have discovered it is also antiviral against DNA viruses. Read MoreJul 23, 2020
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Amidon named 2020 Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar
Katherine Amidon, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University, has been selected as the 2020 Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar. Read MoreJul 22, 2020