School Of Medicine Basic Sciences

Lung disease experts at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and their colleagues have determined a key factor as to why COVID-19 appears to infect and sicken adults and older people preferentially while seeming to spare younger children. Read More

Manuel Ascano team validates an inhibitor of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, which is important for cellular innate immunity against bacteria, viruses, and our own damaged DNA. Read More

Researchers have developed a method to identify the primary interactions between incoming viral RNA genomes and host proteins. Read More

John York and colleagues have demonstrated that the protein Vip1 is a rare type of bifunctional enzyme: it can both synthesize and destroy key cellular signaling molecules. Read More

A disease-associated mutation in a transporter protein impairs gut barrier function, leading to gastrointestinal disease and chronic infections. Read More

Dylan Burnette and colleagues have discovered that two forms of the molecular motor protein myosin have distinct roles in regulating cell shape during cell division. Read More

Danny Winder and colleagues are teasing apart the actions of neurotransmitter receptors in a brain region linked to anxiety and addiction, with a goal of finding treatments for substance use disorders. Read More

New insights on influenza genome packaging could guide strategies for interfering with the virus's life cycle and ability to cause infection. Read More

This is not the Jedi you're thinking of. This Jedi is a receptor that helps clear away dead neurons during development, and its loss changes the activity of dorsal root ganglia neurons, which could have implications for treating chronic pain. 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

Roger Colbran and colleagues have discovered new molecular details about the function of an enzyme with a key role in shaping learning and memory. Read More

A disease-associated mutation in a transporter protein causes cells to increase energy production, as if they are starving, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered. Read More

Erkan Karakas and colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy to determine structural details of a calcium channel protein that has numerous cell signaling roles. Read More

Vanderbilt biochemists got unexpected results when they used their new approach to explore the role of DNA methylation in gene regulation. Read More

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

A drug that targets multiple pathogenic steps in diabetic retinopathy may be an ideal therapeutic strategy for the disease, Vanderbilt researchers report. Read More

An international research team has discovered a new genetic syndrome caused by mutation of a single gene and named it CATIFA, an acronym for its core symptoms. Read More

D. Borden Lacy and colleagues used cryo-electron microscopy to define the structure of a C. diff toxin, providing a framework for the design of novel therapeutics. Read More

A newly identified protein interaction that affects cell cycle regulation may be an attractive target for cancer therapy. 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