Roy Zent

Cells lining crucial structures in the kidney are full of mitochondria—parts of the cell that help it do its job. The cost of doing that job, though, can be damage to the mitochondria, which then cripples the cells and leads to poor kidney function. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found that the protein Rac1 kicks cell repair into high gear to help the body remove and replace damaged mitochondria. Their work was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Assistant Professor Fabian Bock is among the paper’s authors. Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified Rac1, a molecular switch that regulates the actin cytoskeleton of epithelial cells in the collecting ducts, as a driver of post-obstructive kidney repair. Read More

Receptors called integrins play a critical role in maintaining the structure of the kidney, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read More

Integrin-linked kinase, a central component of a complex that coordinates cell signaling involved in migration, proliferation and cell death, plays a role in kidney development and epithelial cell function. Read More

Beta-1 integrin, a critical component of epithelial extracellular matrix receptors, is essential for normal lung function in adulthood, researchers at VUMC have discovered. Read More

As a fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Bradley Richmond, M.D., saw a lot of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disease caused most often by long-term exposure to cigarette smoke. Read More

Integrins are membrane proteins made up of combinations of different “alpha” and “beta” subunits that enable cells throughout the body to interact with their surroundings. Read More

Vanderbilt University researchers have made an important advance in understanding lung development, which one day could lead to improvements in treating lung disease in premature infants and adults. Read More

Undergraduates from across the country attended a summer research conference at Vanderbilt this week sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Read More

A novel molecular “conversation” regulates kidney fibrosis – the final result of end-stage chronic kidney disease – suggesting new treatment options for this currently irreversible process. Read More

The Aspirnaut program, funded by Billy and Julie Hudson, brings science, technology, engineering and math lessons and labs to rural teachers, students and school districts via video and teleconferencing. Read More