Latest News from: Van Andel Institute

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Newswise: Inflammation and loss of protective mechanisms in the brain linked to suicide risk
Released: 14-Nov-2023 11:05 AM EST
Inflammation and loss of protective mechanisms in the brain linked to suicide risk
Van Andel Institute

A first-of-its-kind study has identified overactive inflammation and loss of critical protection mechanisms in the brain as potential contributors to suicide risk.

   
Newswise: Van Andel Institute scientist awarded $2.9 million to tackle insulin resistance, a driver of Type 2 diabetes
Released: 3-Oct-2023 10:05 AM EDT
Van Andel Institute scientist awarded $2.9 million to tackle insulin resistance, a driver of Type 2 diabetes
Van Andel Institute

Nick Burton, Ph.D., has earned a five-year, nearly $2.9 million New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund to find new ways to fix or prevent insulin resistance, a key driver of Type 2 diabetes.

Newswise: Van Andel Institute chief scientist earns $7.9 million Outstanding Investigator Award to support cancer research
Released: 28-Sep-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Van Andel Institute chief scientist earns $7.9 million Outstanding Investigator Award to support cancer research
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute Chief Scientific Officer Peter A. Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hon), has received a seven-year, nearly $7.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Outstanding Investigator Award program.

Newswise: Van Andel Institute appoints new Graduate School dean and chief academic officer
Released: 26-Sep-2023 4:05 PM EDT
Van Andel Institute appoints new Graduate School dean and chief academic officer
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute has appointed Eric Swindell, Ph.D., as dean and chief academic officer of Van Andel Institute Graduate School, effective Dec. 4, 2023.

Newswise: Study illuminates mechanism that annotates genetic information passed from fathers to offspring
6-Sep-2023 2:30 PM EDT
Study illuminates mechanism that annotates genetic information passed from fathers to offspring
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators have identified a key part of a mechanism that annotates genetic information before it is passed from fathers to their offspring.

Newswise: Van Andel Institute scientist nets $2.4 million award to study ‘cellular powerhouses’
Released: 30-Aug-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Van Andel Institute scientist nets $2.4 million award to study ‘cellular powerhouses’
Van Andel Institute

Our cells are powered by tiny “powerplants” called mitochondria, which transform nutrients into fuel that sustains life. But there’s more to the story of mitochondria, says Van Andel Institute Assistant Professor Sara Nowinski, Ph.D.

Newswise: Repairing broken brain circuits may offer path to new Parkinson’s treatments
Released: 24-Aug-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Repairing broken brain circuits may offer path to new Parkinson’s treatments
Van Andel Institute

Scientists have identified a series of processes that help the brain adapt to damage caused by breakdowns in circuits that govern movement, cognition and sensory perception.

Newswise: Alternative cellular ‘fuels’ boost immunity
Released: 28-Jul-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Alternative cellular ‘fuels’ boost immunity
Van Andel Institute

A metabolic by-product that is more prevalent during fasting may supercharge immune cells as they fight infection and disease, reports an early stage study by Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators.

Newswise: Breakdown of ‘protective mechanisms’ can drive lung cancer development
Released: 22-Jun-2023 10:45 AM EDT
Breakdown of ‘protective mechanisms’ can drive lung cancer development
Van Andel Institute

Loss of two key “protector” proteins initiates epigenetic changes that transform healthy lung cells into cancerous ones, according to new research from Van Andel Institute scientists.

Newswise: Targeting uncontrolled inflammation may hold the key to treating therapy-resistant cancers
Released: 11-May-2023 1:15 PM EDT
Targeting uncontrolled inflammation may hold the key to treating therapy-resistant cancers
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute scientists have pinpointed how a specific gene mutation triggers an inflammatory cascade that may drive development of treatment-resistant cancers.

Newswise: Van Andel Institute, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to lead genome center under $140M NIH initiative
Released: 11-May-2023 1:10 PM EDT
Van Andel Institute, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to lead genome center under $140M NIH initiative
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute’s Hui Shen, Ph.D., and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis’s Ting Wang, Ph.D., will co-lead a collaborative project supported by the Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Network, a new $140 million National Institutes of Health-led effort to better understand the genetic differences between individual cells and tissues in the body.

   
Newswise: Osteoporosis treatments may benefit from discovery of key driver of low bone density
Released: 19-Apr-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Osteoporosis treatments may benefit from discovery of key driver of low bone density
Van Andel Institute

Scientists have pinpointed a key driver of low bone density, a discovery that may lead to improved treatments with fewer side effects for women with osteoporosis.

Newswise: Researchers discover two subtypes of insulin-producing cells
Released: 28-Mar-2023 11:30 AM EDT
Researchers discover two subtypes of insulin-producing cells
Van Andel Institute

Researchers have identified two distinct subtypes of insulin-producing beta cells, or ß cells, each with crucial characteristics that may be leveraged to better understand and treat Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Newswise:Video Embedded van-andel-institute-awarded-7-9-million-to-continue-role-as-cancer-moonshot-sm-biobank-biorepository
VIDEO
Released: 16-Sep-2022 1:25 PM EDT
Van Andel Institute awarded $7.9 million to continue role as Cancer Moonshot(SM) Biobank Biorepository
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute’s Biorepository has been awarded a $7.9 million, five-year contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, to continue serving as the biorepository for the Cancer MoonshotSM Biobank study. The Institute has served as the Cancer MoonshotSM Biobank Biorepository since 2020, when it was awarded a two-year subcontract to develop the framework and protocols for this part of the initiative.

Newswise:Video Embedded scientists-redefine-obesity-with-discovery-of-two-major-subtypes
VIDEO
Released: 14-Sep-2022 10:40 AM EDT
Scientists redefine obesity with discovery of two major subtypes
Van Andel Institute

A team led by Van Andel Institute scientists has identified two distinct types of obesity with physiological and molecular differences that may have lifelong consequences for health, disease and response to medication.

Newswise:Video Embedded cellular-waste-may-supercharge-immune-cell-function
VIDEO
Released: 17-Aug-2022 11:00 AM EDT
Cellular waste may supercharge immune cell function
Van Andel Institute

The immune cells that protect us from infection and cancer seek out a wide array of fuel sources to power their function — including some long thought to be cellular waste products. The findings, published in Cell Metabolism, lay the foundation for future personalized dietary recommendations designed to supercharge the immune system and augment therapies for cancer and other diseases.

Newswise: New Technique Helps Scientists Run Circles Around Cancer by Revealing Roots of Esophagus and Stomach Cancers
Released: 7-Jun-2022 1:05 PM EDT
New Technique Helps Scientists Run Circles Around Cancer by Revealing Roots of Esophagus and Stomach Cancers
Van Andel Institute

Rampant inflammation has long been linked to cancer but exactly how it pushes healthy cells to transform into malignant ones has remained a mystery. Now, scientists at Van Andel Institute have found one culprit behind this connection.

Newswise: Molecular ‘blueprint’ illuminates how plants perceive light
Released: 31-Mar-2022 10:40 AM EDT
Molecular ‘blueprint’ illuminates how plants perceive light
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (March 30, 2022) — Plants rely on their ability to sense light for survival. But unlike animals, plants don’t have eyes full of photoreceptors to capture and convey messages from visual stimuli. Instead, plants are coated with a network of light-sensing photoreceptors that detect different wavelengths of light, allowing them to regulate their lifecycles and adjust to environmental conditions.

Newswise: Cryo-EM reveals how ‘911’ molecule helps fix damaged DNA
Released: 25-Mar-2022 1:15 PM EDT
Cryo-EM reveals how ‘911’ molecule helps fix damaged DNA
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (March 21, 2022) — When something goes wrong during DNA replication, cells call their own version of 911 to pause the process and fix the problem — a failsafe that is critical to maintaining health and staving off disease.

Newswise:Video Embedded blood-markers-can-predict-depression-in-pregnancy
VIDEO
Released: 26-Jan-2022 1:25 PM EST
Blood markers can predict depression in pregnancy
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (January 26, 2022) — Signs of inflammation in the blood reliably predict and identify severe depression in pregnancy, reports a new study led by scientists at Van Andel Institute and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

Released: 5-Oct-2021 11:25 AM EDT
Van Andel Institute, Maine Medical Center Research Institute scientists earn $9.6 million Transformative Research Award from National Institutes of Health
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute’s J. Andrew Pospisilik, Ph.D., and Maine Medical Center Research Institute’s Joseph Nadeau, Ph.D., have earned a five-year, $9.6 million Transformative Research Award from the National Institutes of Health to answer a set of questions that could fundamentally transform our understanding of health and disease: If you were born multiple times under the exact same circumstances, would you turn out to be the same person each time?

Released: 6-Aug-2021 8:05 AM EDT
An Overactive Sweet Tooth May Spell Trouble for Our Cellular Powerplants
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (August 3, 2021) — The average American eats roughly 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day — more than three times the recommended amount for women and more than double the recommended amount for men.

Released: 6-Aug-2021 8:05 AM EDT
Van Andel Institute welcomes cell signaling expert Dr. Stephanie Grainger to its faculty
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Aug. 5, 2021) — Stephanie Grainger, Ph.D., hopes to uncover the secrets of stem cells and their role in cancer, and she’s investigating specific type of cellular communication to do it.

Released: 30-Jul-2021 2:25 PM EDT
Study Reveals Source of DNA Mutations in Melanoma
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (JULY 30, 2021) — The mutations that give rise to melanoma result from a chemical conversion in DNA fueled by sunlight — not just a DNA copying error as previously believed, reports a study by Van Andel Institute scientists published today in Science Advances.

Released: 9-Jul-2021 11:50 AM EDT
Metabolism Expert Dr. Sara Nowinski Joins Van Andel Institute
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (July 8, 2021) — VAI’s newest scientific recruit wants to rewrite the story of mitochondria, the cellular machinery that produces and manages the body’s energy supply.

Released: 8-Jun-2021 3:20 PM EDT
Understanding gut inflammation may hold clues to mitigating Parkinson’s onset
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (JUNE 8, 2021) — Chronic inflammation in the gut may propel processes in the body that give rise to Parkinson’s disease, according to a study by scientists at Van Andel Institute and Roche.

Released: 9-Feb-2021 10:50 AM EST
Early study points to potential therapeutic avenue for a pair of rare pediatric diseases
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Feb. 9, 2021) — Scientists have devised a new approach for detecting and potentially heading off the effects of two rare pediatric diseases before birth.

Released: 3-Feb-2021 9:35 AM EST
New study to probe how diet and metabolism influence the immune system
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Feb. 3, 2021) — A pair of scientists from Van Andel Institute and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have been granted a three-year, $1.5 million Allen Distinguished Investigator award from The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, a division of the Allen Institute, to better understand how diet and metabolism influence the immune system’s ability to fight off threats such as infections.

Released: 2-Feb-2021 11:50 AM EST
Bile acids may play previously unknown role in Parkinson’s
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Feb. 2, 2021) — What does bile acid production in the digestive tract have to do with Parkinson’s disease?

Released: 11-Dec-2020 11:35 AM EST
Van Andel Institute now enrolling students for virtual Spring 2021 Afterschool Cohorts
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Dec. 8, 2020) — Do you know a student who loves science? Are you looking for an after-school program that’s both free and fun? Van Andel Institute for Education is accepting applications for our Spring 2021 Afterschool Cohorts, now presented in a virtual format.

Released: 20-Nov-2020 2:15 PM EST
After more than a decade, ChIP-seq may be quantitative after all
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Nov. 20, 2020) — For more than a decade, scientists studying epigenetics have used a powerful method called ChIP-seq to map changes in proteins and other critical regulatory factors across the genome. While ChIP-seq provides invaluable insights into the underpinnings of health and disease, it also faces a frustrating challenge: its results are often viewed as qualitative rather than quantitative, making interpretation difficult.

   
Released: 4-Nov-2020 1:15 PM EST
Near-atomic ‘maps’ reveal structure for maintaining pH balance in cells
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Nov. 4, 2020) — For the first time, scientists have visualized a new class of molecular gates that maintain pH balance within brain cells, a critical function that keeps cells alive and helps prevent stroke and other brain injuries.

Released: 22-Oct-2020 1:00 PM EDT
COVID-19 infection may be part of a ‘perfect storm’ for Parkinson’s disease
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Oct. 22, 2020) — Can COVID-19 infection increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease?

21-Oct-2020 4:15 PM EDT
New experimental blood test determines which pancreatic cancers will respond to treatment
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Oct. 22, 2020) — Scientists have developed a simple, experimental blood test that distinguishes pancreatic cancers that respond to treatment from those that do not. This critical distinction could one day guide therapeutic decisions and spare patients with resistant cancers from undergoing unnecessary treatments with challenging side effects.

Released: 25-Sep-2020 2:45 PM EDT
2020 Tom Isaacs Award honors leading Parkinson’s expert
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 25, 2020) — Van Andel Institute and The Cure Parkinson’s Trust are thrilled to announce Caroline Tanner, M.D., Ph.D., of University of California, San Francisco’s Weill Institute for Neurosciences as the recipient of the 2020 Tom Isaacs Award, which honors individuals who have had a significant impact on the lives of people with Parkinson’s and/or involved them in a participatory way in research.

Released: 21-Sep-2020 12:00 PM EDT
International Linked Clinical Trials strategic funding for Parkinson’s now worth US$6.75 million
Van Andel Institute

LONDON (Sept. 21, 2020) — The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT) and Van Andel Institute (VAI) are delighted to welcome a third strategic funding partner, The John Black Charitable Foundation (JBCF), to the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) program. Together, these three partners have pledged a total of US$6.75 million to Parkinson’s research over three years.

Released: 21-Sep-2020 11:30 AM EDT
University of Minnesota, Van Andel Institute earn $6M to study aging’s role in Parkinson’s
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2020) — A collaborative team between the University of Minnesota Medical School and Van Andel Institute (VAI) will soon begin a $6.2 million study that seeks to define the molecular linkages between aging and Parkinson’s disease — an approach for new treatment targets not yet explored by many researchers. The group recently earned a three-year grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s initiative, an international collaborative research effort partnering with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to implement its funding.

Released: 2-Dec-2019 1:35 PM EST
Taste-related protein provides target for drugs to treat neurological disorders
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Dec. 2, 2019) — Understanding how the brain processes sweet, bitter and umami tastes may one day help researchers design more effective drugs for neurological disorders.

Released: 20-Nov-2019 2:25 PM EST
Severe pregnancy-related depression may be rooted in inflammation
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Nov. 20, 2019) — A runaway, inflammatory immune response may be responsible for triggering severe depression during and after pregnancy, according to a new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

Released: 6-Nov-2019 2:00 PM EST
New technique lays foundation for regenerative cardiac therapies
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Nov. 6, 2019) — Scientists have devised a technique to sort out which heart cells can replicate and which cannot, a critical step toward treatments that may one day help the heart heal itself after injury.

Released: 14-Oct-2019 9:00 AM EDT
When studying immune cells, environment matters
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Oct. 10, 2019) — For years, scientists have used cells grown in petri dishes to study the metabolic processes that fuel the immune system. But a new report in Immunity suggests looking outside the dish and into living organisms gives a drastically different view of the way immune cells process and use energy.

Released: 28-Aug-2019 6:05 AM EDT
Can suicide risk be detected in the blood?
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (August 28, 2019) — A new clinical study aims to identify blood-based biomarkers for suicide risk, laying the foundation for a test that could help physicians identify people who are likely to self-harm and allow for earlier, life-saving intervention.

   
Released: 28-May-2019 2:05 PM EDT
Van Andel Research Institute’s Dr. Juan Du named McKnight Scholar
Van Andel Institute

The McKnight Foundation has awarded Van Andel Research Institute’s (VARI) Juan Du, Ph.D., a three-year, $225,000 Scholar Award to uncover the innerworkings of the body’s intricate and poorly understood temperature regulation system, the first step toward developing new treatments for a host of conditions including fever and pain.

Released: 3-May-2019 2:05 PM EDT
Hotspot in the Genome May Drive Psychosis in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
Van Andel Institute

A newly identified epigenetic hotspot for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may give scientists a fresh path forward for devising more effective treatments and biomarker-based screening strategies.

Released: 11-Apr-2019 2:00 PM EDT
Near-atomic map of parathyroid hormone complex points toward more targeted therapies for osteoporosis, cancer
Van Andel Institute

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (April 11, 2019) — An international team of scientists has mapped a molecular complex that could aid in the development of better medications with fewer side effects for osteoporosis and cancer.

Released: 8-Apr-2019 3:05 PM EDT
Blocking epigenetic “Swiss army knife” may be a new strategy for treating colorectal cancer
Van Andel Institute

A new study out today in Cancer Cell shows that blocking specific regions of a protein called UHRF1 switches on hundreds of cancer-fighting genes, impairing colorectal cancer cells’ ability to grow and spread throughout the body.

Released: 3-Jan-2019 1:05 PM EST
Three Van Andel Research Institute scientists named to list of most cited researchers in the world
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute-affiliated scientists Peter W. Laird, Ph.D., Stephen B. Baylin, M.D., and H. Eric Xu, Ph.D., are included in this year’s Highly Cited Researchers list, which identifies scientists who have published multiple papers ranking in the top 1 percent of citations by field and year worldwide.

Released: 31-Oct-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Appendix Identified as a Potential Starting Point for Parkinson’s Disease
Van Andel Institute

Removing the appendix early in life reduces the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 19 to 25 percent, according to the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, published today in Science Translational Medicine.

Released: 30-Aug-2018 4:00 PM EDT
Explainer: What is inflammation?
Van Andel Institute

Inflammation is the body’s reaction to a harmful stimulus, such as infection with a virus like the flu, an injury like a cut or scrape or chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease. Although it is a normal and important part of our immune system’s defenses, when it sticks around too long it can be

13-Jun-2018 10:05 AM EDT
Cryo-EM reveals interaction between major drug targets
Van Andel Institute

For the first time, scientists have visualized the interaction between two critical components of the body’s vast cellular communication network, a discovery that could lead to more effective medications with fewer side effects for conditions ranging from migraine to cancer.


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