Research, News & Discoveries

A new study from the laboratory of Cody Siciliano suggests that two widely used medications for alcohol use disorder—naltrexone and nalmefene—may be equally effective overall but individuals only respond to one of the two medications. The findings could help explain why clinical trials of naltrexone and nalmefene have produced conflicting results and may point toward a precision-medicine strategy for treating alcohol use disorder. Read More

Dr. Teru Nakagawa delivered the inaugural Kairos Lecture. Read More

Researchers identified a small molecule that improves the localization of a potassium channel frequently mislocalized and impaired in the genetic heart rhythm disorder known as long QT syndrome. The study provides proof of principle that future therapies aimed at correcting the underlying molecular defect in this potentially fatal genetic disorder could be viable. Read More

Two new compounds developed at the Vanderbilt University Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery will enable research into a protein family with ties to Alzheimer’s disease, setting the stage for the development of a different kind of therapeutic than is currently available. Read More

MBP091, an investigational, anti-Marburg virus antibody identified by Vanderbilt Health researchers and under development by San Diego-based Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., was provided to Ethiopian health officials during that country’s first outbreak of the deadly viral infection late last year. Read More

Katrin Karbstein, the co-leader of the Cancer Cell Biology Research Program in the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, will now expand her focus to support her department’s mission across research, service, and education, with a special focus on faculty affairs. Read More

New study from Borden Lacy and Audrey Thomas represents a major step forward for vaccine development for C. diff, the leading cause of health care- and antibiotic-associated infection. Read More

A new study reveals mechanistic underpinnings of Crohn’s disease, including some vulnerabilities within the ascending colon. This work challenges the assumption that all regions of the gut respond similarly to inflammation, argues for region-specific treatments for the disease, and highlights a potential new target for treatment within the ascending colon. Read More

Shan Meltzer was named a Sloan Research Fellow, one of the most competitive honors available to young investigators, for her research into how the neural circuits responsible for touch and pain processing are built and organized. Read More

Ann Richmond outlines a promising therapeutic strategy that may re-sensitize treatment-resistant tumors to immunotherapy. The research introduces a three-drug combination that enhances immune activity and suppresses tumor-promoting immune cells. Read More