NIH

The mechanical forces generated by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of cardiac muscle cells play an active role in the initial stage of heart valve formation. 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

Variation in the gene for the beta-1 adrenergic receptor increases the risk that a patient will have an abnormal heart rhythm after cardiac surgery. Read More

Targeting the production of molecules that promote tumor blood vessel development offers a new path for treating lung cancer. Read More

The antioxidant vitamin E prevented the buildup of toxic products in a model of a rare genetic disorder, suggesting new strategies for therapeutic development. Read More

It might be possible to generate a “metabolically healthy” state of obesity by targeting signaling pathways that improve insulin sensitivity. Read More

A new computational model of the interactions between vocal folds and the air around them could aid in designing new treatments for voice disorders. Read More

According to annual figures available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) is now ranked ninth in the nation among U.S. medical schools in total grant support provided through the nation’s medical research agency. 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

Harold “Hal” Moses, the Hortense B. the Ingram Professor of Cancer Research at Vanderbilt University, is the recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award — the highest honor for a member of the Vanderbilt alumni community. Read More

Understanding how HIV infection affects immune system B cells may guide strategies for vaccine development. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that variation in the gene encoding the potassium channel GIRK1 plays a role in modulating human pain perception. Read More

An association between rigid-compulsive behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder may point to a common biological pathway that impacts both the brain and the gut. Read More

A metabolic enzyme plays a crucial role in vascular development and may be a good target for cancer therapies. Read More

The breast cancer drug tamoxifen improves cognitive performance in post-menopausal women. Read More

The protein CK1 delays cell division to avoid the generation of defects that drive tumorigenesis. Read More

A protein kinase linked to inflammation and tumor development may be a good target for gastric cancer therapies. Read More

Developmental biologist Chin Chiang, Ph.D., and his colleagues have discovered that Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum act as central regulators of neuronal development. Read More

MRI brain scans reveal that children with autism spectrum disorders respond to a narrower range of familiar rewards. Read More

A study of mitochondrial DNA mutations suggests they result from a process that selects for particular mutations in certain tissues. Read More