Kidney

Ever wonder what about the ROI on biomedical research looks like? At the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, scientists are delivering answers—by driving discoveries that are already improving human health and paving the way for tomorrow’s treatments. This 2025–26 roundup highlights some of the year’s most exciting advances, showing the extraordinary value of sustained support for biomedical science. Read More

  Kidney Disease Vanderbilt School of Medicine’s Basic Sciences investigators study kidney cancer and kidney disease from molecules to patients. Teams link genomics, epigenetics, and metabolism to clear cell renal cell carcinoma initiation, therapy resistance, and tumor-immune microenvironment. Researchers build organoid, CRISPR, and mouse models to test pathways and identify… Read More

Kidney Disease Vanderbilt School of Medicine’s Basic Sciences investigators study kidney cancer and kidney disease from molecules to patients. Teams link genomics, epigenetics, and metabolism to clear cell renal cell carcinoma initiation, therapy resistance, and tumor-immune microenvironment. Researchers build organoid, CRISPR, and mouse models to test pathways and identify drug… Read More

In a new study, Vanderbilt researchers found that by promoting the formation of actin cytoskeleton inside the epithelial cells lining the proximal tubules, Rac1 facilitates removal and replacement of mitochondria damaged by ischemia. Read More

In a landmark study published in Science Advances, Vanderbilt researchers have created the first high-resolution lipid atlas of the human kidney, mapping over 100,000 functional tissue units across 29 donors. By integrating advanced imaging mass spectrometry with microscopy using machine learning, the team identified distinct lipid signatures that could transform diagnostics and precision treatments for kidney disease. Read More

In a landmark study published in Science Advances, Vanderbilt researchers have created the first high-resolution lipid atlas of the human kidney, mapping over 100,000 functional tissue units across 29 donors. By integrating advanced imaging mass spectrometry with microscopy using machine learning, the team identified distinct lipid signatures that could transform diagnostics and precision treatments for kidney disease. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified cancer cell-specific genetic alterations that reprogram the immune “landscape,” thereby driving tumor growth, and discovered a potential new drug target for stopping it. Read More

A molecular switch that regulates the cytoskeleton — the cellular equivalent of our skeleton — is required for the maintenance and integrity of the kidney collecting duct, Vanderbilt researchers have found. The discovery, reported in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, could… Read More