NHLBI

Variation in the levels of hormones called natriuretic peptides may contribute to racial differences in susceptibility to diabetes, suggesting that this hormone system may be a target for reducing risk of the disease. Read More

Jennifer Sucre and colleagues have discovered a factor that contributes to the pathological changes of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, the most common complication of preterm birth. Read More

Sean Davies and colleagues are exploring lipid aldehydes produced during oxidative stress and their contribution to HDL dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Read More

To study the dynamics of structural proteins in the heart, Vanderbilt investigators generated a cellular tool they expect will be useful for screening drugs that affect heart muscle contraction. Read More

Immune cells that produce an anti-inflammatory factor are enriched in fat tissue around the heart and may be good targets to improve heart attack outcomes. Read More

Machine learning on unlabeled electronic health record data has shed light on the emergence of cardiovascular disease. Read More

Heather Pua, MD, PhD, one of 60 investigators to receive the 2019 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, will explore a novel type of cell signaling by RNAs in allergic airway inflammation. Read More

By defining the clinical and genetic factors that predict treatment response, Vanderbilt investigators aim to personalize therapy for a common heart complication in preterm infants. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that a protein called SGK1 in immune cells is activated by sodium, leading to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. Read More

A new imaging method makes it possible to directly measure cell division and changes in metabolism in atherosclerotic plaques. Read More

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 More

Scott Baldwin and colleagues have discovered early signaling events during heart development, findings that could guide cell replacement therapies for heart disease. Read More

Jonathan Soslow and colleagues have found more clues to why people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are at risk for a certain kind of heart problem. Read More

People with diabetes may be prone to more skin infections due to an overabundance of a compound that controls inflammation in the body. Read More

Jeffrey Rathmell and colleagues show that a drug that inhibits glutamine metabolism — currently in clinical trials as an anticancer agent — might also be useful as a treatment for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Read More

Biochemistry professor Richard Caprioli, director of the Mass Spectrometry Research Center, and Jeff Spraggins, research assistant professor of biochemistry, and their team will build a platform to molecularly characterize cells. Read More

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

Common sequences of antibodies against HIV may be key to developing a successful vaccine strategy for the virus. Read More

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

An enzyme called PTEN reduces inflammatory signaling and mortality in sepsis, suggesting it may be a good therapeutic target for this life-threatening complication of infection. Read More