Released: 16-Nov-2015 1:00 PM EST
Van Andel Research Institute Expands Into New Areas of Parkinson’s Research
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) is continuing the expansion of its neurodegenerative disease research program, which aims to answer fundamental questions about diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, with the addition of two outstanding scientists.

Released: 18-Nov-2015 9:00 AM EST
Van Andel Research Institute’s Hui Shen Receives Ovarian Cancer Research Award
Van Andel Institute

The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) yesterday announced that Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Assistant Professor Hui Shen, Ph.D., has received a prestigious award to support her search for the cells of origin for ovarian cancer.

Released: 26-Jan-2016 9:05 AM EST
Scientists Identify Potential “Guardian” Against Neurodegeneration
Van Andel Institute

Stopping disruptions in cellular “trash removal” brought on by errors in molecular marks on DNA may guard against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

Released: 28-Jan-2016 10:30 AM EST
Phase II Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trial First to Receive Support, Scientific Oversight From VARI–SU2C Epigenetics Dream Team
Van Andel Institute

The first clinical trial to move forward as part of the Van Andel Research Institute–Stand Up To Cancer (VARI–SU2C) Epigenetics Dream Team will target metastatic colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women combined in the U.S.

22-Feb-2016 9:00 AM EST
Promising Respiratory Drug Focus of New Clinical Trial for Parkinson’s Disease
Van Andel Institute

A medication approved to treat various respiratory diseases and that has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies is the focus of a new clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease.

8-Mar-2016 8:55 AM EST
Breakthrough Discovery Honored by Leading Scientific Organization
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Professor H. Eric Xu will receive the prestigious Hans Neurath Award in recognition of a 2015 discovery that could lead to the development of better, more targeted therapies for many diseases.

Released: 30-Mar-2016 2:00 PM EDT
New Compounds May Aid in Development of Targeted Therapies for a Rare Pediatric Cancer
Van Andel Institute

Two recently discovered compounds have shown promise in preclinical studies for treating Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that predominantly affects children and adolescents.

Released: 27-Apr-2016 2:00 PM EDT
Founder of Movement Disorders Field to Receive Parkinson’s Award
Van Andel Institute

In honor of his immeasurable contributions to the study and treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) will present renowned neuroscientist and clinician Stanley Fahn, M.D., with the 2016 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Parkinson’s Disease Research. The award ceremony and Fahn’s accompanying lecture will kick off VARI’s annual Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease symposium, which will be held Sept. 26–27 at the Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Released: 3-May-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Van Andel Institute Scientist Elected to National Academy of Sciences to Advise Nation on Medical and Epigenomic Policy and Direction
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Chief Scientific Officer Peter Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc., today joined the nation’s elite scientists as a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Released: 28-Jul-2016 8:00 AM EDT
Indicators of Parkinson’s Disease Risk Found in Unexpected Places
Van Andel Institute

Clues that point toward new risk mechanisms for developing Parkinson’s disease are hiding in some unusual spots, according to a study published today in Scientific Reports.

Released: 8-Aug-2016 3:25 PM EDT
New Model Recreates Early Spread of Parkinson’s Disease in the Brain
Van Andel Institute

They’re two of the biggest mysteries in Parkinson’s disease research—where does the disease start? And how can it be stopped early in the process?

Released: 9-Aug-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Reduced Activity of an Important Enzyme Identified Among Suicidal Patients
Van Andel Institute

It is known that people who have attempted suicide have ongoing inflammation in their blood and spinal fluid. Now, a collaborative study from research teams in Sweden, the US and Australia published in Translational Psychiatry shows that suicidal patients have a reduced activity of an enzyme that regulates inflammation and its byproducts.

Released: 29-Aug-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Vitamin C May Boost Effectiveness of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment
Van Andel Institute

A simple adjustment to patients’ therapeutic regimen may improve the effectiveness of the standard epigenetic treatment for myeloid dysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Released: 8-Sep-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Diabetes Drug Focus of New Clinical Trial for Parkinson’s Disease
Van Andel Institute

Type II diabetes and Parkinson’s disease may not appear to have much in common but a look below the surface reveals important molecular similarities that provide a potential target for fighting Parkinson’s.

Released: 3-Nov-2016 2:00 PM EDT
New Computational Tool May Speed Drug Discovery
Van Andel Institute

A new computational tool called fABMACS is helping scientists see beyond static images of proteins to more efficiently understand how these molecules function, which could ultimately speed up the drug discovery process.

Released: 17-Nov-2016 2:00 PM EST
Van Andel Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Awarded National Cancer Institute Grant for Epigenomic Data Analysis
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), in collaboration with Cedars-Sinai, has received a $2.5 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, that will fuel efforts by investigators to uncover the underpinnings of cancer, ultimately helping scientists develop better diagnostic and treatment strategies for a class of diseases that claim more than eight million lives each year worldwide.

7-Dec-2016 2:00 PM EST
Diabetes Drug Slows Experimental Parkinson’s Disease Progression, Human Trials to Begin Next Year
Van Andel Institute

A new investigational drug originally developed for type 2 diabetes is being readied for human clinical trials in search of the world’s first treatment to impede the progression of Parkinson’s disease following publication of research findings today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

4-Jan-2017 1:00 PM EST
Comprehensive Study of Esophageal Cancer Reveals Several Molecular Subtypes, Provides New Insight Into Increasingly Prevalent Disease
Van Andel Institute

A comprehensive analysis of 559 esophageal and gastric cancer samples, collected from patients around the world, suggests the two main types of esophageal cancer differ markedly in their molecular characteristics and should be considered separate diseases.

Released: 16-Jan-2017 3:00 PM EST
New Study Reveals the Structure of DNA Helicase at the Replication Fork
Van Andel Institute

Scientists at Van Andel Research Institute and Rockefeller University have successfully described a crucial structure involved in DNA replication, placing another piece in the puzzle of how life propagates.

Released: 21-Feb-2017 10:00 AM EST
ORC as Loader of the Rings
Van Andel Institute

An international collaboration of life scientists, including experts at Van Andel Research Institute, has described in exquisite detail the critical first steps of DNA replication, which allows cells to divide and most advanced life, including human, to propagate.

Released: 7-Mar-2017 10:00 AM EST
New Drug Combination Targets Aggressive Blood Cancer
Van Andel Institute

A pair of drugs that may be a one-two punch needed to help combat acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer that kills nearly three-fourths of patients within five years of diagnosis, is the focus of a new multi-center clinical trial that will enroll patients at three sites across the U.S.

Released: 28-Mar-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Van Andel Research Institute Installs World-Class Microscopes to Enable Discovery of the Molecular Basis of Disease
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) is now home to one of the world’s most powerful microscopes—one that images life’s building blocks in startling clarity and equips VARI’s growing team of scientists to push the limits of discovery in search of new treatments for diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s.

Release date: 18-May-2017 11:30 AM EDT
research brief new understanding of lethal women s cancer
Van Andel Institute

TCGA publishes molecular profile of uterine carcinosarcoma, offers potential new treatment options.

Release date: 16-Jun-2017 10:05 AM EDT
vari su2c epigenetics dream team launches new clinical trial to combat blood cancers
Van Andel Institute

International collaboration pairs immunotherapy with an epigenetic drug to stop progression of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome into acute myeloid leukemia.

Release date: 20-Jul-2017 1:05 PM EDT
michigan teacher of the year partners with van andel education institute
Van Andel Institute

2017-2018 Michigan Teacher of the Year Luke Wilcox and Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI) will partner in supporting and improving the quality of education in Michigan and beyond. The partnership will center around a shared workspace between Wilcox and VAEI.

Released: 27-Jul-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Effects of a Major Drug Target Regulated Through Molecular “Codes”
Van Andel Institute

The findings, published today in Cell, reveal for the first time components of a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) named rhodopsin bound to a signaling molecule called arrestin, both crucial pieces of the body’s intricate cellular communication network. The new discovery further refines a landmark 2015 Nature article that first described the structure of the two molecules in complex together.

Release date: 6-Sep-2017 2:05 AM EDT
west michigan native tapped to lead van andel institute development efforts
Van Andel Institute

Today, Van Andel Institute (VAI) announced the appointment of Brett Holleman as chief development officer. Holleman comes to VAI from Mayo Clinic and most recently from Vail Valley Medical Center Foundation in Colorado, where he served as vice president of development

Released: 20-Sep-2017 12:05 PM EDT
$2.375 Million Federal Award to Study Epigenetic Control Systems, Inform Drug Discovery
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute scientist Scott Rothbart, Ph.D., has been awarded a five-year, $2.375 million Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA/R35) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health that will fuel in-depth, multidisciplinary studies into the epigenetic control mechanisms that regulate the genetic code.

Released: 25-Sep-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Van Andel Research Institute Hosts Unique Symposium on Parkinson’s Disease
Van Andel Institute

Leading Parkinson’s experts and advocates from around the world will gather at Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this month for Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease, a scientific event highlighting the latest breakthroughs in Parkinson’s research and treatment. The 6th annual symposium will include talks from 19 scientific speakers, a poster session and extensive networking opportunities.

Release date: 2-Oct-2017 2:05 PM EDT
award honors parkinson s pioneer
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute and The Cure Parkinson’s Trust announce Thomas Foltynie, B.Sc., MBBS, MRCP, Ph.D., as the recipient of the inaugural Tom Isaacs Award, which was established in memory of Trust co-founder and champion of the Parkinson’s community Tom Isaacs. Foltynie is a consultant neurologist at University College London, and the senior author of a groundbreaking study that shows the diabetes drug exenatide may interfere with Parkinson’s progression, something no current medication can do.

Released: 12-Oct-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Stand Up To Cancer awards $5.5 million to VARI for cancer clinical trials to enhance immunotherapy
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute–Stand Up To Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team scientists have been awarded two grants totaling nearly $5.5 million to pursue clinical trials of epigenetic drugs to enhance tumor response to immunotherapy.

   
Released: 23-Oct-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Cryo-EM Reveals Ignition Mechanism for DNA Replication
Van Andel Institute

An international team of scientists, led by structural biologists at Van Andel Research Institute, has shed new light on a critical step in DNA replication, offering fresh insights into a fundamental process of life and driver of many different diseases, including cancer.

9-Nov-2017 2:05 PM EST
New Research to Target Air Pollution as a Potential Trigger for Parkinson’s
Van Andel Institute

The Department of Defense has awarded a multi-institutional team of scientists a series of grants totaling $4.37 million to investigate the potential role of airborne pollutants as triggers of Parkinson’s disease via the nose.

Released: 6-Dec-2017 1:15 PM EST
Cryo-EM Reveals “Crown-Like” Structure of Protein Responsible for Regulating Blood Flow
Van Andel Institute

A team led by scientists at Van Andel Research Institute has revealed for the first time the atomic-level structure of a promising drug target for conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury.

   
22-Jan-2018 11:00 AM EST
Cryo-EM Reveals Critical Protein-Modifying Complex and Potential Drug Target
Van Andel Institute

Scientists have revealed the atomic-level structure of a molecular complex responsible for modifying proteins, possibly paving the way for the development of new medications for cancer and a host of other diseases.

Released: 16-Mar-2018 2:55 PM EDT
Van Andel Research Institute Chief Scientific Officer Awarded Honorary Doctorate
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Chief Scientific Officer Peter Jones, Ph.D., D.Sc., will be awarded an honorary doctorate from South Africa’s Stellenbosch University (SU) in recognition of a lifetime of scientific achievement and dedication to improving cancer treatment.

2-Apr-2018 9:35 AM EDT
Scientists Discover New Method for Measuring Cellular Age
Van Andel Institute

A team led by scientists at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and Cedars-Sinai have developed a straightforward, computational way to measure cellular age, a feat that may lead to better, simpler screening and monitoring methods for cancer and other diseases.

   
Released: 5-Apr-2018 12:10 PM EDT
Van Andel Research Institute Scientists Help Redefine How Cancer Is Categorized
Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) announced today that the work of its scientists is featured in 27 papers focused on the output of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The papers were published across the Cell Press family of journals.

9-May-2018 12:00 PM EDT
Microbes From Marine Volcanic Vents Reveal How Humans Adjusted to a Changing Atmosphere
Van Andel Institute

The findings, published today in Cell by scientists at Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), University of Georgia (UGA) and Washington State University, detail the structure of MBH, a molecular complex involved in microbial respiration. The near-atomic resolution images are the first ever of MBH and show that its structure is remarkably similar to its counterpart in humans, Complex I.

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.

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

Release date: 22-Oct-2018 11:05 AM EDT
high resolution “blueprint” reveals mechanism that helps e. coli infect the urinary tract
Van Andel Institute

The findings may aid in the development of precision antimicrobial therapies.

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: 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.

Release date: 17-Jan-2019 10:05 AM EST
new combination blood test for pancreatic cancer may catch disease earlier
Van Andel Institute

A new approach to pancreatic cancer screening may help doctors detect the disease in people at high risk before it reaches more advanced and difficult-to treat stages. A team led by Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists has developed a new, simple blood test that, when combined with an existing test, detects nearly 70 percent of pancreatic cancers with a less than 5 percent false-positive rate. The results of the blinded study were published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Released: 12-Mar-2019 1:00 PM EDT
Medical Mile attracts internationally renowned genomics scientist and informatician
Van Andel Institute

The Medical Mile is one step closer to becoming a destination for DNA diagnostics and treatments of rare diseases, thanks to collaborative efforts by MSU, Spectrum Health and Van Andel Institute to recruit an internationally-renowned genomics scientist and informatician to Grand Rapids.

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: 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: 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.


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