Gastroenterology Hepatology And Nutrition

Mutations in the protein epiregulin, an EGF receptor ligand, affect larger epithelial cell reorganization and may contribute to early cancer development, Vanderbilt researchers discovered. Read More

A probiotic factor given early in life to mice prevented intestinal inflammation in adulthood, providing a rationale for probiotic intervention in individuals at high risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease. Read More

New findings suggest that dietary calcium and magnesium affect the risk of esophageal cancer; if confirmed in interventional studies, they could inform dietary modifications to reduce the burden of this cancer. Read More

An investigational drug that binds bile acids in the stomach can reduce the severity of heartburn symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) when combined with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), a new study suggests. Read More

It is estimated that nearly one out of five pediatric patients and one of three adult patients age 60 and older are malnourished and will experience a decline in their nutritional status during their hospital stay. Read More

The Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center (VDDRC) celebrates its 15th anniversary this year with a third consecutive five-year renewal of its federal research grant. Read More

Erin Morris, 29, has much to be thankful for this holiday season, and at the top of her list is Roman Perri, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Read More

A new biological therapy, ustekinumab, improves markers of disease activity in patients with severe Crohn’s disease. Read More

Test after test failed to reveal why Denny Majano wasn’t gaining weight or why he suffered from severe, chronic diarrhea. At 5 weeks old, instead of gaining weight as newborns should, Denny had lost a pound since birth. Read More

Two proteins interact to maintain selenium levels in the brain, and protect neurons from degeneration. Read More

by Denise Anthony (iStock) A Vanderbilt University-led research team has solved a long-standing riddle: Why do people of mostly Amerindian ancestry in the Andes have a gastric cancer rate that is 25 times higher than that of fellow Colombians of mostly African descent only 124 miles away on the coast?… Read More

After more than a month in and out of the hospital with her daughter, Kynslee, Kristen Allen felt she was at the end of her rope. Last spring, the nearly 2-year-old Columbia girl developed diarrhea that wouldn’t go away after taking antibiotics for repeated ear infections. Read More

Berberine, an herbal remedy for diarrhea and intestinal parasites, may be useful in colon cancer therapy. Read More

The factor STAT6 appears to play a role in the pathogenesis of an inflammatory bowel disease, suggesting it may be a promising target for new treatments. Read More

  (iStock) The latest developments in gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition will be discussed Sept. 7-8 during a continuing medical education course at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt. More than 20 Vanderbilt University faculty members and experts from Indiana University, the University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in… Read More

A genetic variant may help keep an individual’s “good” cholesterol in check. Read More

Berberine, an herbal remedy for diarrhea and intestinal parasites, may be an effective treatment for gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases. Read More

Treating H. pylori infection in children may help their growth rebound, a recent study suggests. Read More

The Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a second five-year renewal of its federal research grant. Read More

Increasing an enzyme required for a type of colon tissue may help dampen inflammation, a known risk factor for colon cancer. Read More