Like drones heading for battle, cancer cells emit vesicles containing immunity-suppressing proteins to tamp down T cell responses at sites throughout the body. (Image: Kelsey Burke)
Cancer cells send out ‘drones’ to battle the immune system from afar
Checkpoint inhibitor therapies have made metastatic melanoma and other cancers a survivable condition, but only for some patients. Researchers uncovered a novel mechanism by which tumors suppress the immune system, raising the possibility that a straightforward blood test could predict which patients could respond to immunotherapy.
Treatment with a nanoparticle and hydrogen peroxide (right panel) left little in the way of bacteria (in blue) or the sticky biofilm matrix (in red), making the combination a potent force against dental plaque.
Dental plaque is no match for catalytic nanoparticles
A recent study found that nanoparticles can break down dental plaque with nanoparticles that target biofilms, preventing tooth decay in humans and animal models without damaging surrounding oral tissue.
Briana Wilson, a third-year student at Penn Vet, is helping her peers establish a commercial goat dairy operation in Gambia.
Vet students’ goat dairy aims to fill a nutrition gap in Gambia
Briana Wilson plans on becoming a small-animal vet, but this summer she is immersing herself in far-flung ventures in faraway places at the Gambia Goat Dairy, helping to create a sustainable, commercial herd of milking goats.
The unusual symmetries present in everyday wallpaper and wrapping paper played a role in the discovery of a new type of insulating material.
A physics treasure hidden in the pattern of wallpaper
Charles Kane and Andrew Rappe of the School of Arts and Sciences were part of an international team that has identified a new form of insulating material that may one day provide a basis for quantum computing. The patterns found in everyday wallpaper played a role in the discovery.
Cole Jadrosich and Lila Bhide of Facilities and Real Estate Services care for edible growing spaces around campus, including the Penn Community Garden.
Pro tips from Penn’s gardeners
Community garden coordinator Lila Bhide and Penn Park Orchard intern Cole Jadrosich of Facilities and Real Estate Services offer suggestions for creating a thriving, edible, urban garden.
Parasitology professor James Lok’s studies of the development and basic biology of parasites, particularly the roundworm Strongyloides, have implications for finding new drug candidates. Veterinary schools have traditionally been strongholds of parasitology research, and Penn Vet is no exception. (Image: Eric Sucar)
The changing landscape of mosquito- and tick-borne diseases
Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Zika, chikungunya, and dengue are among the vector-borne infections making headlines. Penn researchers shed light on what’s behind the spread and how to stay safe.
A child receives a vaccination as part of Lancaster General Health’s ChildProtect program. To date, the program has offered free vaccinations to more than 70,000 children, many of whom are members of Amish communities. (Photo: Peggy Peterson Photography)
With free vaccinations, ChildProtect program helps Amish communities stay healthy
When an outbreak of rubella struck the Amish in Pennsylvania in 1991, Lancaster General Hospital responded with a rapid vaccination campaign. The program endured, and continues to offer preventive health services to hundreds of children each year.
Despite their reputation, spotted hyenas are often cooperative animals, dwelling in large groups and assisting one another during hunts. Penn biologist Erol Akçay modeled a theoretical social group to show how cooperation can arise or collapse. (Photo: Amiyaal Ilany)
Understanding the social dynamics that cause cooperation to thrive, or fail
Many examples of cooperation exist in nature, but it’s far from a universal characteristic of human or animal groups. Using a mathematical model, Erol Akçay showed that less randomly connected social networks make cooperation more likely, but those dynamics may ultimately lead to cooperation’s collapse.
The bicolor parrotfish is a member of a group of fish that dwells in the tropics, which a new study found to be, counterintuitively, slower-evolving than fish in colder ocean waters. (Image: Richard Ling/Wikipedia)
Frigid polar oceans, not coral reefs, are hot spots for formations of fish species
Tropical waters contain a dazzling diversity of fish species compared to colder ocean areas. Yet a new study paradoxically indicates that the colder waters are home to the highest species formation rates.
New findings from a study led by Penn Vet point to new strategies for treating ichthyosis, a skin disorder that affects both humans and dogs. (Photo credit: Elizabeth Mauldin)
Progress in addressing a severe skin disease that affects dogs and humans
Both dogs and humans can suffer from ichthyosis, a disorder that makes the skin dry, scaly, and prone to secondary infections. A new study has uncovered new details about the disease, and moves toward developing a topical therapy.
