Immune System

Understanding how macrophage immune cells accumulate in fat tissue and contribute to the pathology of obesity could lead to the development of novel therapeutics for metabolic disorders. Read More

Vanderbilt biologist Julián Hillyer is this year's recipient of the H.B. Ward Medal given by the American Society of Parasitologists. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that certain immune cells contribute to the development of hypertension, suggesting novel targets for treating the disease. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a new type of immune cell residing in the intestinal epithelium that may function as a first line of defense against ingested pathogens. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators identify a new therapeutic target for the inflammatory lung disease sarcoidosis. Read More

Understanding how the immune system responds to the respiratory virus HMPV is crucial for developing vaccines and anti-viral treatments. Read More

Understanding how to control the generation of regulatory T cells could have important implications for treating autoimmunity and cancer. Read More

Obesity causes peripheral immune cells to move to the brain, where they may contribute to inflammation and the pathophysiology of obesity. Read More

A new in vitro system will allow investigators to explore how immune system T cells develop specialized functions. Read More

Clinical pharmacologist Jens Titze, M.D., and his colleagues have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure. Read More

Vanderbilt University investigators have developed a new strategy for identifying the “bits” of a pathogen that spark a protective immune response. Read More

Immune cells that recognize self antigens (e.g. insulin), but are functionally silent, can trigger autoimmune diseases such as diabetes. Read More

The kidney can mediate its own repair through proliferation of resident immune system cells. Read More

Vanderbilt biologists have discovered that mosquitoes possess a previously unknown mechanism for destroying pathogens which takes advantage of the peculiarities of the insect’s circulatory system to increase its effectiveness. Read More

Viruses that cause acute respiratory infections — such as human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and flu — impair a set of immune system cells that should clear the virus from the lungs. Now, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered the signaling pathway that disables these immune cells. Read More

Disruptions in immune system regulation may play a role in a deadly complication in premature infants. Read More

Antibodies to the 2009 H1N1 influenza strain reveal new insights into how antibody diversity forms and functions, with possible implications for designing flu vaccines. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers are exploring what role, if any, bacteria play in environmental diversity, with the aim of answering one of biology's most fundamental questions. Read More