Results:

SARS   Published 04/26/04
A narrow escape—at least this time
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

In 2003 a strange new disease called SARS traveled the globe, killing hundreds. It looked unstoppable. But an unprecedented international public health response broke the chains of transmission within months. SARS was a primer for the future’s lurking viral threats: basic research combined with surveillance, rapid communication and intervention are key to “defusing” the next pandemic.   [read more]
A vaccine primer   Published 04/26/04
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Vaccines are designed to “teach” the body’s immune system to recognize and fight off invading pathogens. They do this by mimicking a natural infection, because they look like disease-causing agents, either in whole or in part. Types of vaccines include:   [read more]
John Oates: A closer look   Published 07/07/05
Seeing beauty in the complexity of wildflowers and clinical pharmacology
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Looking through a camera lens was nothing new for John Oates, M.D., but this time the view was different. As he trained his new macro lens on a Spring Beauty, an ordinary pink and white wildflower that graces woody hillsides and uncultivated front lawns, he was struck by the extraordinary beauty of the magnified flower.   [read more]
Firefly’s glow reveals stem cell role in mending fractures   Published 02/27/06
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

A bone fracture appears to be a relatively simple medical problem to solve: cast it, wait, and everything will be fine. For about 10 percent of fracture patients though, healing doesn’t come easily. These patients, 600,000 people every year in the United States, require bone grafts or synthetic prostheses to mend their breaks.   [read more]
Seeing the shimmer of biology in action   Published 02/27/06
Creatures that glow lend their proteins to biomedical research
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Fireflies are a source of wonder to children and adults alike. Scientists have discovered how to harness their biological glow, called bioluminescence, to reveal secrets from inside living animals. The chemical reaction that produces light can be used to follow cancer cell metastasis, stem cell migration, gene expression, and protein activity, all as they are happening in vivo.   [read more]
More than one ball in the air   Published 11/18/03
Paths to new treatments for autism
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

The number of children with autism spectrum disorders appears to have skyrocketed in the last 10 years, sparking an influx of research funding. The increased support is energizing efforts to “see” what’s going on in the brains of children with autism, to identify genes that are linked to the disorder, and to use that information to improve treatment.   [read more]
An epidemic of autism?   Published 11/18/03
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

In California, the number of individuals with autism spectrum disorders seems to be spiraling upward, from 10,000 to 20,000 cases between 1999 and 2002. California is not alone. Other states are seeing similar climbs, prompting parents and some researchers to argue that the country is experiencing an epidemic of autism.   [read more]
EGFR – one protein’s story   Published 02/10/03
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

We invited you to take a journey into a busy cell, to learn about proteins – how they’re made and what they do. We’ve selected as our guide the EGF receptor, a protein involved in signaling pathways that regulate cell growth.   [read more]
Political “chill” slows scientific progress   Published 07/16/03
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Their very name raises hackles—embryonic stem cells. These are the cells that populate the early embryo and give rise to all of the body’s tissues. These are the cells that can be grown in virtually limitless quantities in the laboratory. And these are the cells that scientists hope will someday provide replacements for cells damaged in diabetes and other disease states.   [read more]
Pathway to a cure   Published 07/16/03
Transplantable cells offer hope, but face obstacles
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

One step into Chris Wright’s Vanderbilt office, and it’s clear that this guy is fond of frogs. Perched on a long low bookcase are all manner of them — wooden, ceramic, stuffed. The figures join a striking series of models that show, in hand-painted detail, stages of the developing frog embryo.   [read more]
The face is key   Published 11/18/03
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Human beings are “face specialists”—we distinguish individuals based on their facial features, and we gather a wealth of emotional information from a muscle flex here or a twitch there. For individuals with autism, though, the human face may be little more than another object in an already confusing world.   [read more]
An ethical dilemma   Published 07/21/06
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Vulnerability.

It’s at the core of ethical issues related to research with indigenous populations, says Ellen Wright Clayton, M.D., J.D., the Rosalind E. Franklin Professor of Genetics and Health Policy at Vanderbilt University.   [read more]
Turning genes on to turn cancer off   Published 02/08/07
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Cancer can result not only when certain genes are “turned on,” but when others are “turned off” by the attachment of chemical “tags” to the DNA. This tag-driven control of gene expression—called epigenetics—provides a new avenue for stopping tumor growth.   [read more]
The lub-dub of a healthy heart   Published 08/15/08
Developmental biology guides efforts to “grow” replacement heart valves
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Valves in action give the heart its characteristic lub-dub sound. When they fail, the results can be fatal. What if scientists could build replacement heart valves from patients’ own tissues? The hypothesis may be “outrageous,” but according to Vanderbilt researchers, it just might work.   [read more]
Gridlock keeps blood flowing, hearts in check   Published 08/15/08
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Gridlock can be a good thing. If you’re talking about cardiovascular development, that is.   [read more]
Riding the neural crest   Published 08/15/08
Studies that track cell migration, fate illuminate gut disorders
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

During the fourth week of human embryonic development, in the ridges of the closing neural tube, a remarkable group of cells emerges.   [read more]
The new Oz   Published 01/14/09
U.S. scientists follow yellow brick roads overseas
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

A new biomedical research metropolis in southern Singapore, dubbed a “scientific Emerald City,” is attracting scientists from around the world. While not a flood, it raises concerns about an American “brain drain.”   [read more]
‘Placental clock’ sets human birth timing   Published 06/18/10
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

 

It comes as no surprise to Roger Smith, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., that birth timing would be under hormonal control.   [read more]
Off tempo   Published 10/15/07
Understanding the genetics of disturbed heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Nearly every minute of every day, an American is killed by sudden cardiac death. With the help of genetic screening and pharmacogenomics, scientists are finding ways to identify—and prevent—the errant heartbeat before it takes another life.   [read more]
From auto parts to cell parts   Published 10/15/07
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Jack Roberts, internationally known for his research on free radicals, wasn’t supposed to become a scientist. After college, he planned to run the family auto parts businesses. But then he took physiology from “Doc” Rogers, and the course of his life was changed forever.   [read more]
A quiver of cancer fighters   Published 02/08/07
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Drug Approved in For treatment of By targeting Avastin 2004 colorectal cancer VEGF*   2006 lung cancer VEGF Erbitux 2004 colorectal cancer EGFR   2006 head and neck cancer EGFR Gleevec 2001 CML bcr-abl    2002 GIST* c-kit*, PDGFR* Herceptin 1998 breast cancer HER-2  Iressa 2003 lung cancer EGFR Nexavar 2005 kidney cancer Raf kinase* Sprycel 2006 CML  bcr-abl  Sutent 2006 kidney cancer, GIST VEGF receptor, PDGFR, c-kit Tarceva 2004 lung cancer EGFR

 * VEGF—vascular endothelial growth factor; GIST—gastrointestinal stromal tumor; c-kit, Raf kinase—proteins linked to tumor growth; PDGFR—platelet-derived growth factor receptor.   [read more]
The next targeted therapies   Published 02/08/07
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

We’re hitting a plateau and facing a gap of several years before the next targeted therapies emerge from pre-clinical and early stage clinical trials, says Mace Rothenberg, M.D., director of the Phase I Drug Development Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram.   [read more]
One arrow’s not enough   Published 02/08/07
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Think of targeted therapies as poison arrows piercing Achilles’ heel.   [read more]
Hitting the bull’s-eye   Published 02/08/07
Targeted cancer therapies begin making their mark
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

They’re not “magic bullets,” but targeted therapies have dramatically improved outcomes for many cancer patients. These drugs are not without side effects, however, and some of them cost $10,000 a month. Vanderbilt researchers give an update on the search for better treatments.   [read more]
Born too soon   Published 06/18/10
Can evolution guide the search for genes involved in preterm birth?
Leigh MacMillan, Ph.D.

Why are so many babies born prematurely? One driver may be evolution. As our heads enlarged and our hips narrowed when we began to walk upright, nature pushed for an earlier birth. Researchers hope that by identifying the genes, hormones and other factors that control birth timing, they may be able to prevent "too early" births.   [read more]

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