National Institutes Of Health

Researchers discovered that the protein tenascin-C is a crucial molecular player in the aggressiveness of anaplastic thyroid cancer. The results could lead to better targeted therapeutics for thyroid cancer. Read More

Researchers from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University have figured out how two bacterial elements present in only some Helicobacter pylori strains lead to molecular changes in host tissues that favor the development of gastric cancer. Read More

Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for 10 percent of breast cancer cases in the U.S. annually. As T-cells that normally kill cancer cells often become exhausted and stop, Vanderbilt pharmacologists are seeking chemotherapy or targeted therapy approaches that can enhance the T-cell killing of cancer cells. Read More

New research reveals that alcohol use can cause long-lasting changes in the brain’s dopamine system, even during abstinence. Vanderbilt researchers found that even after a month without alcohol, key regulators of dopamine activity remained altered, potentially increasing the risk of relapse. The study also challenges long-held assumptions about how gene expression relates to brain function, opening new doors for precision treatments in alcohol use disorder. Read More

The National Institutes of Health S10 Shared and High-End Instrumentation Grant programs support purchases of state-of-the-art shared instruments that enhance the research of NIH-funded investigators. Vanderbilt investigators who intend to apply for either program need to submit an internal proposal for review. Read More

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Ken Lau and Jeffrey Spraggins are creating the first spatially mapped atlas characterizing the progression trajectories of early-onset colorectal cancer versus average-onset CRC as they transition from precancerous lesions to malignant cancers. Read More

In 2024 the National Institutes of Health awarded Sando a New Innovator Award, part of their High-Risk, High-Reward Research program. This award, which provides $1,500,000 over five years, supports early-career scientists proposing innovative and impactful research that might not get funded in the traditional peer-review process due to its inherent risk. Read More

Research from Teru Nakagawa, professor of molecular physiology and biophysics, describes intricacies of normal brain function with implications for our understanding of brain injury and recovery: A decrease in pH can modify a neurotransmitter receptor’s structure, thereby modulating its location and kinetics. Read More

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health has renewed a five-year grant through the NIH’s flagship T32 institutional training grant program. T32 grants provide funding to support students and postdoctoral trainees working in focused areas of research that advance the NIH mission. Read More

In a recent episode of Smarter Every Day, YouTube sensation and host Destin Sandlin talks with Vanderbilt Professor Tina Iverson and Senior Research Associate Prashant Singh about bacterial “motors” and how they work in the microorganisms that make us sick. The video racked up more than 1.4 million views in its first day. Read More