Discoveries

By Sohini Roy Neuro-2a cells after treatment with STING-NP. (Wang-Bishop et al. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, through a CC BY-NC 4.0 license) Neuroblastoma, an aggressive pediatric brain cancer with a high mortality rate, boasts a unique microenvironment that puts the brakes on infiltrating… Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/07/Discovery_Weaver-SM-Web-1.mp4   By Sarah Glass Cells use exosomes as pathfinding tools during migration-related processes, such as embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. © Christoph Burgstedt, stock.adobe.com Scientists once dismissed the small, membrane-bound particles packed with proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids that are expelled by cells as mere cellular… Read More

By Heather Caslin Approximately 30 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. The majority are over 45 years old. © Vitalii Vodolazskyi, stock.adobe.com Within the pancreas, β-cells produce insulin that delivers energy to tissues through glucose. People with type 2 diabetes have smaller, less functional β-cells; however, the mechanisms that drive… Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/05/Tansey_website.mp4   By Suneethi Sivakumaran WDR5 has different moonlighting roles in the body, including in chromatin regulation and in chromatin-independent processes such as cell division. © Ian Dyball, stock.adobe.com The human body is a complicated network of interdependent cellular processes regulated by gene-encoded proteins. Proteins… Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/04/Lacy_Website.mp4   By Sara Eaton C. diff is responsible for 50% of gastrointestinal infections in hospitals but cause over 90% of GI tract infection-related deaths. © Kateryna_Kon, stock.adobe.com Gastrointestinal infections often cause damage to the stem cells in the colon’s epithelium, a thin layer of… Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/04/Goldenring_Website-1.mp4   By Sarah Glass Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the U.S. © Crystal light, stock.adobe.com Clocking in at two pounds, the stomach is one of the body’s heaviest internal organs and can become afflicted with one of the leading causes of… Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/04/Winder_website.mp4   By Sohini Roy Despite stringent regulation under the Controlled Substances Act, cocaine use disorder is widespread throughout the United States. © Bits and Splits, stock.adobe.com Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that is frequently abused in the United States despite stringent regulation under the Controlled Substances Act. Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/04/Johnson_website.mp4   By Heather Caslin Late-night snacks or meals affect how much fat we burn while we sleep, but the long-term effects on weight gain and health are not yet clear. © Pixel-Shot, stock.adobe.com Regulation of the body’s metabolism ensures that all organs receive the nutrients necessary for proper… Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/03/Crowe_Website.mp4   By Sarah Glass Microscopic view of the Ebola virus. (jaddingt, stock.adobe.com) Many people associate Ebola with the previous viral epidemic of the last decade, but, especially in light of the current global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, few are aware that there is currently an active outbreak occurring in the… Read More

https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/t2-main/medschool-prd/wp-content/uploads/sites/101/2020/03/Porter_Updated-1.mp4   By Stella Child In the last two decades, scientists have found increasing evidence for the contribution of environmental factors to neurodegenerative diseases. Organic solvents, heavy metals, and air pollutants are now all categorized as neurotoxicants, substances that affect the function of the nervous system. A subset of… Read More