Research
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Discovery of new “checkpoint” points to new cancer immunotherapy option
An international team involving Vanderbilt researchers has discovered that a new “checkpoint” protein on immune system cells is active in tumors, and that blocking it — in combination with other treatments — is a successful therapeutic approach in mouse models of cancer. Read MoreFeb 21, 2019
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Research shows frogs can adapt to traffic noise
Frogs don’t like living near noisy highways any better than people do, but research from Vanderbilt suggests that frogs, like hardened city-dwellers, can learn to adapt to the constant din of rumbling trucks, rolling tires and honking horns. Read MoreFeb 21, 2019
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Study takes personal approach to cochlear implant programming
Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently received a $3.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to improve outcomes for children with significant hearing loss by providing individualized, prescription-like programming for their cochlear implants. Read MoreFeb 21, 2019
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New algorithm calculates drug synergy; initial tests involve melanoma, lung cancer
Drug combinations used for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma aren’t as effective as they could be. Oncologists haven’t had the right tools to predict drug interactions, other than in costly clinical trials. That could change with a new algorithm developed by a cross-disciplinary Vanderbilt University team… Read MoreFeb 20, 2019
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Study finds children with autism more likely to face maltreatment
Middle Tennessee children with autism spectrum disorder are 2.5 times more likely than children without ASD to be reported to the Child Abuse Hotline by age 8. Read MoreFeb 15, 2019
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Adhesion protein optimizes border
Matthew Tyska and colleagues have found that an adhesion protein in the gut is necessary for proper intestinal functioning. Read MoreFeb 15, 2019
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Modulating stress circuits
Danny Winder and colleagues have demonstrated how norepinephrine and a stress factor call CRF interact, which may lead to new treatments for stress-related disorders. Read MoreFeb 15, 2019
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The balancing act of cell signaling
Lawrence Marnett and colleagues have demonstrated how two enzymes cooperate to maintain even levels of an important cellular signaling molecule. Read MoreFeb 15, 2019
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Probing H. pylori cancer protein
Timothy Cover, john Loh and colleagues have identified how a certain type of mutation influences the risk of premalignant and malignant changes in the stomach. Read MoreFeb 15, 2019
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Reversing stress-related anxiety
Inhibiting COX-2 — an enzyme associated with inflammation — could provide a novel therapeutic approach for stress-related psychiatric disorders. Read MoreFeb 14, 2019
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Prejudice against darker skin continues to depress wages for legal immigrants: Study
Legal immigrants with darker skin are paid up to 25 percent less than those with lighter skin, a wage penalty that widened significantly several years after receiving permanent legal status. Read MoreFeb 13, 2019
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Major initiative launched to advance the application of AI to health care
IBM Watson Health has announced plans to make a 10-year, $50 million investment in joint research collaborations with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Brigham and Women’s Hospital to advance the science of artificial intelligence and its application to major public health issues. Read MoreFeb 13, 2019
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Researchers push forward frontiers of vaccine science
Using sophisticated gene sequencing and computing techniques, Vanderbilt researchers have achieved a first-of-its-kind glimpse into how the body’s immune system gears up to fight off infection. Read MoreFeb 13, 2019
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They call it puppy love, but what is it really?
Even if animals have ulterior motives for teaming up, they teach humans a lot about love, says Vanderbilt University animal biologist Patrick Abbot. Read MoreFeb 12, 2019
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Long before #MeToo, female artists were calling out sexual violence
Social media has brought sexual assault into the public eye, but bearing witness to sexual violence in popular culture didn’t begin with the invention of tweets and posts, according to Vanderbilt art history professor Vivien Green Fryd, who explores the topic in her new book. Read MoreFeb 11, 2019
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Women’s hormones play role in drug addiction, higher relapse rates
But long before female-specific medications are available, treatment centers could use the information in this study to educate women about their stronger mental connections to places and objects. Read MoreFeb 8, 2019
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Symposium shines light on research by medical students
The symposium featured research by students in Vanderbilt's Medical Scholars Program, a one-year, in-depth research experience available to Vanderbilt and Meharry Medical College students with the central goal of training leaders in academic medicine. Read MoreFeb 8, 2019
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Vanderbilt team wins $750K with AI to manage RF spectrum
Scientists at Vanderbilt's Institute for Software Integrated Systems have developed an award-winning AI to to help triage limited radio frequency demands in real time. Read MoreFeb 7, 2019
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New option could increase minority kidney transplants
People with blood type B, a relatively rare blood type, can expect similar outcomes from kidney transplants from type A2 donors, which increases the number of available kidneys for these patients. However, it requires additional monitoring and medication that can raise costs for patients. Read MoreFeb 7, 2019
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New target for chronic kidney disease
Craig Brooks and colleagues have identified a mechanism of kidney fibrosis progression, suggesting a potential new angle for treating chronic kidney disease. Read MoreJan 31, 2019