Gregor Mendel would be proud
December 12, 2019
Mendelian diseases, those caused by a single deleterious genetic variant, often present as constellations of clinical features.
News
Rathmell named interim chair of Medicine
December 05, 2019
Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, Cornelius Abernathy Craig Professor of Medicine and director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, has been named as interim chair of the Department of Medicine in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Her appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2020.
Genetic screen in worms reveals critical step in insulin synthesis
December 05, 2019
Although the protein, called TRAP-alpha, was first discovered more than 30 years ago, its biological function has been unclear. The new findings, reported Dec. 4 in Science Advances, demonstrate that TRAP-alpha is required for both early and late steps in insulin synthesis.
Study finds cardiac rehab underused among Medicare patients
November 21, 2019
Cardiac valve surgery patients who participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program have a 34% lower risk of hospitalizations and a 4.2% lower risk of mortality than patients who do not enroll in cardiac rehab in the year after surgery.
Grant spurs effort to map biology of Crohn’s disease
November 21, 2019
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been awarded a three-year, $3 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to map — in unprecedented detail — the biology of Crohn’s disease.
Getting the goods on obesity
November 15, 2019
A study in the World Journal of Surgery finds that obesity and two post-operative complications linked with it, incisional hernia and post-op infection, have associated genetic variants in common.
RSV transmission in the Middle East
November 15, 2019
Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a primary cause of lower respiratory tract infections among young children worldwide, and leads to 60,000 deaths globally each year. A vaccine does not yet exist, although several candidates are in development.
VUMC offering new minimally invasive emphysema therapy
November 08, 2019
Vanderbilt University Medical Center will be the first in the state to offer a minimally invasive, non-surgical alternative for patients with emphysema.
Endotoxin shock protector
November 08, 2019
The bacterial toxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the most potent virulence factors of Gram-negative bacteria that cause sepsis. Exposure to even tiny amounts can trigger a systemic — and potentially lethal — inflammatory response known as endotoxin shock.
Acute kidney injury recovery time impacts future risk
November 01, 2019
Acute kidney injury (AKI) — a sudden loss in kidney function that often occurs in hospitalized patients — puts survivors at increased risk for future chronic kidney and cardiovascular disease.