Health and Medicine
Study reveals mysteries of critical brain receptor complex
Dec. 5, 2019—Poorly functioning AMPARs have been linked to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders including seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, major depression and autism spectrum disorder. Understanding how AMPARs are formed and operate is essential for the rational design of pharmacological compounds that, by tuning AMPAR activity up or down, could improve treatment of these conditions.
Genetic screen in worms reveals critical step in insulin synthesis
Dec. 4, 2019—The identification of a protein important for insulin synthesis may hold clues for understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes.
Study finds ‘frozen’ fear response may underlie PTSD
Nov. 27, 2019—To explore how fear becomes entrenched, VUMC researchers traveled down the precise neuronal pathways in the brains of mice that trigger fear responses, and which normally extinguish the behaviors once the danger has passed.
What leads to compulsive alcohol use? With new experiments into binge drinking, researchers are finally getting answers
Nov. 22, 2019—New study from neuroscientists at Vanderbilt provides initial answers to long-standing scientific questions on what causes the transition from moderate to compulsive alcohol consumption – and what makes some drinkers particularly vulnerable to developing alcohol use disorders.
Study explores potential new class of antidepressants
Nov. 21, 2019—Researchers at VUMC have taken a major step that could ultimately facilitate development of a new class of antidepressants which may relieve symptoms more rapidly and effectively and with fewer side effects than current medications.
Getting the goods on obesity
Nov. 19, 2019—Obesity and two post-operative complications linked with it have associated genetic variants in common, suggesting that obesity may be the culprit.
Understanding cell division
Nov. 18, 2019—Vanderbilt researchers have uncovered another piece in the puzzle of how cells divide — a process that goes awry in cancer cells.
Blueprint for treating epilepsy
Nov. 14, 2019—Structural details of a protein that is essential to normal brain function could improve treatments for epilepsy and other seizure disorders.
RSV transmission in the Middle East
Nov. 14, 2019—Understanding how RSV is transmitted, which strains dominate and how new strains emerge around the globe will guide better vaccine and anti-viral drug design.
Endotoxin shock protector
Nov. 5, 2019—A novel tool developed by Vanderbilt scientists protects animals from endotoxin shock and can be used for mechanistic analyses of inflammation due to microbial and other insults.
How to fake a medical record
Nov. 4, 2019—Simulated electronic health records could avoid patient privacy risks and help speed discovery.
Vanderbilt investigators lead effort to create map of the human kidney
Nov. 1, 2019—Researchers at Vanderbilt's Biomolecular Multimodal Imaging Center are working to create a high-resolution, three-dimensional “atlas” of the human kidney that will help future researchers understand what exactly goes wrong when kidneys fail.