Division Of Infectious Diseases
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Study finds RSV may evade vaccines via rapid mutation
A Vanderbilt study concluded that RSV’s ability to mutate rapidly to escape detection by the body’s immune system makes it more challenging to design and develop vaccines that can stop it from spreading. Read MoreMar 9, 2023
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Blood test figures in cancer risk for people with HIV
A Vanderbilt study found that, among adult patients with HIV, those who have lower counts of certain types of blood cells have a markedly higher risk of developing cancer. Read MoreMar 17, 2022
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Invasive strep can defy zinc toxicity
Vanderbilt researchers find that invasive Group B Streptococcus strains, a significant risk to pregnant patients and infants, can grow in presence of toxic zinc levels. Read MoreFeb 28, 2022
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H. pylori, lipid loss and stomach cancer
H. pylori infection — a strong risk factor for stomach cancer — changes the composition of stomach lipids, which could offer new biomarkers for detecting premalignant changes, Vanderbilt researchers discovered. Read MoreJan 17, 2022
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Influenza network sizes up COVID
Hospital data from a CDC network that monitors influenza revealed that adults hospitalized for COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic were 20x more likely to die compared to hospitalized influenza patients. Read MoreJul 22, 2021
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Establishing HIV care in Tennessee
Vanderbilt researchers find that heterosexually active Black males are the least likely to establish HIV care within one month of diagnosis and suggest that targeted interventions focus on this population. Read MoreJul 13, 2021
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HIV, diabetes and immune cells in fat
In HIV-positive individuals with diabetes, immune cells in fat are more proinflammatory and cytotoxic and may represent a therapeutic target for diabetes. Read MoreMar 18, 2021
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Study details early events of inflammatory response
Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have identified a key molecular player in the early events of the inflammatory response to infection. The findings suggest new therapeutic possibilities for enhancing the inflammatory response to protect against pathogens and for blocking inflammation gone awry in diseases like arthritis and atherosclerosis. Read MoreDec 10, 2020
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Genes spell penicillin allergy risk
Studies using large DNA biobanks revealed genetic variants associated with penicillin allergy, the most common type of drug-induced allergic reaction. Read MoreOct 1, 2020
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Target trials support drug safety in pregnant patients
A new paper proposes an ethical way to test drug safety during pregnancy by using electronic health data to conduct "virtual" drug trials. Read MoreMay 28, 2020
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WATCH: A Word with Wente—a discussion with Dr. David Aronoff
In her latest video message, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente discusses COVID-19 with Dr. David Aronoff, professor of medicine, pathology, microbiology and immunology and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Read MoreApr 15, 2020
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Treating C. diff: new purpose for an old drug?
An inexpensive generic drug once used to prevent gastrointestinal ulcers in people taking daily NSAIDs protects against C. diff infection in mice. Read MoreSep 24, 2019
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Effort seeks to improve safety of drugs given during pregnancy
A 19-year-old student is leading a multi-institutional collaboration to identify drugs that can be prescribed safely to pregnant women without harming the fetus. Read MoreJul 18, 2019
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Study seeks to expand treatment options for rare airway disease
Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is an unexplained narrowing of the windpipe just below the vocal cords. The disease is progressive, slowly affecting the patient’s ability to breathe, and can be fatal due to airway obstruction if left untreated. Read MoreJun 14, 2019
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How providers receive feedback plays crucial role in antimicrobial stewardship programs
Antimicrobial resistance continues to increase, and antimicrobial stewardship programs are developing plans to report antimicrobial use in order to reduce and optimize the use of antibiotics. Read MoreJun 7, 2018
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Records point to drug-drug interaction
Patients who take a cholesterol-lowering statin drug while taking the antibiotic daptomycin have increased risk of developing muscle weakness or a more severe form of muscle damage. Read MoreMay 7, 2018
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LEAP Fellowship bolsters Staub’s antimicrobial stewardship research
Infectious Disease fellow Milner Staub, MD, is among the first awardees of the Leadership in Epidemiology, Antimicrobial Stewardship, and Public health (LEAP) Fellowship. Read MoreMay 3, 2018
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Grant bolsters study of potential new therapy for C. diff infection
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011 in the United States there were almost half a million Clostridium difficile infections, and one in 11 patients 65 or older with a healthcare-associated C. diff infection died within 30 days of diagnosis. Read MoreMar 22, 2018
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Older adults less likely to receive flu tests: study
An influenza diagnosis for people 65 and older is serious. Up to 85 percent of influenza-related deaths occur in older adults, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention reports. Read MoreMar 1, 2018
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HIV outreach and return to care
When chronic disease patients let their care lapse and fail to show for clinic appointments, it may behoove clinics to reach out and encourage a return to care. Read MoreNov 9, 2017