Pathology Microbiology And Immunology

A newly discovered mechanism that helps cancer cells avoid destruction by immune system cells may improve immunotherapies. Read More

A genetic mutation that promotes cancer development blocks the normal sorting of a protein called “Argonaute 2.” Read More

Vanderbilt researchers show that a certain factor negatively impacts the first-line responder cells in the lungs, providing one explanation for why patients with asthma are at greater risk for invasive bacterial disease. Read More

Vanderbilt physician/scientist Mary Zutter, M.D., Louise B. McGavock Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and assistant vice chancellor for Integrative Diagnostics, can now add “White House guest” to her resume. Read More

A microRNA — a small piece of RNA involved in regulating gene expression — functions as an oncogene to drive the development of lung cancer, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered. Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have obtained the crystal structure of a toxin from the bacterium Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”) — the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States. Read More

Mary (Kay) Washington, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of American Pathologists (CAP). Washington was one of eight physician members honored during the organization’s recent annual meeting. Read More

Understanding factors, such as the receptor TLR9, that detect and defend against pathogens may lead to therapeutic approaches that promote an effective immune response to treat infections. Read More

A new marker could be useful for diagnosing and treating neuroendocrine tumors of the small intestines. Read More

Drugs that inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway can regenerate injured skin and may be useful in treating fibromatosis, degenerative joint disease and cancer. Read More

A new genetic model has generated new strategies for promoting tolerance to transplants – and improving long-term transplant outcomes – in the background of autoimmune disease. Read More

A compound acting on serotonin receptors delays a critical step during reovirus cell entry, reducing viral infectivity. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have developed a framework for studying cellular responses that could be used to identify the agents driving a range of biological processes in health and disease. Read More

Jeffrey Rathmell, Ph.D., has been recruited to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) to lead a new Center for Immunobiology, a structure supported by the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, the Department of Medicine and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC). Read More

Vanderbilt researchers are exploring how neuroblastoma tumors begin and progress, knowledge that could provide new treatments for this pediatric cancer. Read More

Eric Skaar, Ph.D., MPH, the Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology, has received a Scholar Award from the American Asthma Foundation (AAF). Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered how human antibodies induced during testing of an experimental “bird flu” vaccine kill the virus. Read More

Two physicians from Vanderbilt University have been elected to membership in two of the nation’s oldest and most respected medical honor societies — the Association of American Physicians (AAP) and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). Read More

Vanderbilt University investigators have identified a cellular receptor for a toxin from Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”) — the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States. Read More

Pediatric patients have a significantly higher incidence of transfusion reactions compared to adults, according to a study by Vanderbilt University researchers. Read More