AHA

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

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

Integrins are membrane proteins made up of combinations of different “alpha” and “beta” subunits that enable cells throughout the body to interact with their surroundings. Read More

New structural details of the binding of the bacterium Streptococcus sanguinis to platelets may offer new therapeutics for life-threatening cardiovascular infections. Read More

Harsh Trivedi, M.D., MBA, associate professor of Psychiatry, vice chair for Clinical Affairs for Vanderbilt’s Department of Psychiatry, and executive director and chief medical officer of Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, has been selected to serve on the American Hospital Association’s Governing Council on Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services. Read More

Stem cells derived from patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension provide a unique resource for studying the molecular defects that cause the disease and testing potential therapies. Read More

A novel molecular “conversation” regulates kidney fibrosis – the final result of end-stage chronic kidney disease – suggesting new treatment options for this currently irreversible process. Read More

A particular anti-arrhythmia drug provides a targeted treatment for certain forms of atrial fibrillation. Read More

Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered how intestinal cells build the "brush border" -- a specialized surface structure that is critical for absorbing nutrients and defending against pathogens. Read More

Smooth muscle cells that line the aorta differ in development but not in the adult, a finding that has implications for understanding aortic development and disease. Read More

Electronic medical records linked to DNA biobanks are a valid resource for defining and understanding the genetic factors that contribute to drug response. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers are studying how mutations in the receptor for light, rhodopsin, cause light blindness. Read More

A motor protein that helps drive cell division may be a promising new target for cancer therapeutics. Read More

Reducing heart muscle response to calcium could decrease the risk of fatal arrhythmias after heart attacks. Read More

In critically ill patients with sepsis, plasma hemoglobin may be a new indicator of disease severity – and a potential target for treatment with acetaminophen. Read More

A protein that connects cells together participates in the calcification that occurs in heart valve disease. Read More

An unexpected group of cells generates the coronary arteries and may be useful for regeneration therapies following injury to the heart. Read More

Blocking a serotonin receptor may provide a novel therapy for heart valve disease. Read More

Dan Roden, M.D., assistant vice chancellor for Personalized Medicine and William Stokes Professor of Experimental Therapeutics, received a 2012 Distinguished Scientist Award at the annual Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association (AHA) last week in Los Angeles. Read More

Structural biology studies of a bacterial protein suggest a new target for treating life-threatening heart infection. Read More