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‘W. David Merryman’

Drug development under way with discovery of how to treat heart attack

Feb. 16, 2021—Vanderbilt researchers have identified the protein receptor in specialized heart cells that, when removed, preserves cardiac function after a heart attack. This discovery has significant implications for survival after a heart attack, with a promising therapeutic development now underway at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery. The research was led by David Merryman, a...

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Antibody developed for rheumatoid arthritis could improve heart attack recovery

Sep. 23, 2019—More than one million Americans per year experience myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, as well as the healing and rebuilding phase that begins shortly thereafter – a complicated process which involves remodeling and repairing the heart. This process is known as the granulation phase and is critical for healing. But due to...

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Five engineering faculty awarded Discovery Grants

Jun. 29, 2019—Five proposals from School of Engineering faculty have been selected by the Office of the Provost for 2019 Discovery Grants, which advance new ideas and cutting-edge scholarship in the university’s core disciplines. “Discovery Grants serve as a key internal funding vehicle for fostering research that has the potential to improve lives and address society’s complex problems—a vital part...

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Study links Celebrex, heart valve calcification after earlier research declared drug safe

Feb. 22, 2019—A well-known, four-year study found popular arthritis drug Celebrex no more dangerous for the heart than older drugs in its same classification – commonly called NSAIDs. Now, a big-data analysis of patient records at Vanderbilt University has found a link specifically between Celebrex and heart valve calcification. W. David Merryman, professor of biomedical engineering, Meghan...

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BME’s Merryman and collaborators find potential way to prevent rare lung disease

Nov. 20, 2018—Research by Vanderbilt scientists suggests that it may be possible to prevent or even reverse pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare, progressive disease characterized by narrowing of and high blood pressure in the small arteries of the lungs. A key player in PAH is the proangiogenic cell (PAC), a cell produced by the bone marrow...

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VUSE news roundup

Feb. 21, 2014—February 21, 2014 Futurity: Baby hearts need rhythm to grow the right way A Vanderbilt research team has taken an important step toward the goal of growing replacement heart valves from a patient’s own cells. The team determined that the mechanical forces generated by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of cardiac muscle cells play an...

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Merryman to receive the 2014 Y.C. Fung Young Investigator Award from ASME

Feb. 12, 2014—Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering W. David Merryman has been awarded the 2014 Y.C. Fung Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The prestigious Y.C. Fung award was established in 1985 to recognize young investigators who are committed to pursuing research in the field of bioengineering and have demonstrated significant potential...

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