Research

New findings by Jörn-Hendrik Weitkamp and colleagues provide the first account of bacterial signatures in mammalian fetal intestinal tissue. The results suggest that bacterial DNA moves from the mother’s microbiome into the fetal intestine, which may be a critical stimulus for normal mucosal immune development. Read More

Chronic inflammation is a predisposing condition for colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Anna Means, Ph.D., and colleagues have now linked inflammation-driven carcinogenesis in the colon to loss of an important signaling protein called SMAD4. Read More

Appello was established with major investment from New York-based Deerfield Management, which specializes in accelerating drug development projects at universities and other nonprofits. Read More

There’s one bond that had scientists stumped: the one between some types of metals and carbon. Professor of Chemistry Timothy Hanusa set out to replicate this unique type of bond using modeling. Read More

Lipid molecules that bind to HDL can modify its function — and blocking that modification can protect HDL and potentially lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Read More

The new factor, an enzyme involved in host-pathogen interactions, may be a viable target for treating staph infections. Read More

Vanderbilt engineers have successfully developed and validated the feasibility of blockchain-based technologies for secure, confidential sharing of patient medical records in a case study that demonstrates how blockchain could solve a huge healthcare challenge. Read More

Justus Ndukaife, who won the 2017 Chorafas Foundation Prize in Physics for his nanotweezers work, also recently was selected for the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program. Read More

The device is from the lab of Professor Michael Goldfarb, perhaps best known for working on a bionic leg with shark attack victim Craig Hutto and later developing the Indego exoskeleton. Read More

Vanderbilt economist W. Kip Viscusi says putting a price tag on the value of a person’s life makes people and products safer. Read More

Vanderbilt Professor of Law and former Treasury adviser Morgan Ricks argues that the general public, businesses and institutions should have the option to open an account at the Federal Reserve. Read More

Vanderbilt environmental researchers developed an index of city water policies and gathered data on the climate, water sources, population, economy and political leanings. Read More

Boys and men of color or who identify as LGBTQI experience higher rates of trauma, substance use, depression and violence, and that worsens their overall health, according to a new report coauthored by Derek Griffith, who is part of the American Psychological Association’s Working Group on Health Disparities in Boys and Men. Read More

Symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, including psychosis, depression and manic behavior, have both shared and distinguishing genetic factors, an international consortium led by researchers from Vanderbilt University and Virginia Commonwealth University is reporting. Read More

A drug in use clinically to help make vaccines more effective may be a powerful new tool for fighting antibiotic-resistant infections. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers describe how certain tuberculosis treatments work and suggest these medications may overcome the threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Read More

Common sequences of antibodies against HIV may be key to developing a successful vaccine strategy for the virus. Read More

Vanderbilt scientists have discovered that a certain enzyme plays a crucial role in preventing obesity-related cardiac dysfunction. Read More

Student-run free health clinics, a hallmark of most medical schools across the country, not only provide valuable clinical experience for the students who volunteer there, but may actually reduce hospital utilization by the patients in their care, according to a Vanderbilt study recently published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. Read More

A research-dedicated PET/CT scanner installed recently in the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS) will expand opportunities for Vanderbilt researchers to conduct studies of a wide range of disorders, from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. Read More