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Bioengineering
A novel technique to form human artificial chromosomes
Penn researchers say the new technique for making human artificial chromosomes from single, long constructs of designer DNA will allow for more efficient laboratory research.
Sherry Gao pushes the boundaries of genetic engineering
The Presidential Penn Compact Associate Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering aims to make gene editing tools like CRISPR more accurate, and encourage first generation students along the way.
Accelerating CAR T cell therapy: Lipid nanoparticles speed up manufacturing
Penn Engineers have developed a novel method for manufacturing CAR T cells using lipid nanoparticles as delivery vehicles.
New molecules, inspired by space shuttles, advance lipid nanoparticle delivery for weight control
Penn Engineering researchers have invented a new way to synthesize the key chemical components of lipid nanoparticles that help protect and deliver medicinal payloads.
‘Switchable’ bispecific antibodies pave way for safer cancer treatment
Immunotherapy utilizing an FDA-approved drug has enabled Penn researchers to develop a novel switchable bispecific T cell engager that mitigates negative outcomes of immunotherapy.
Illuminating the invisible: Bringing the smallest protein clusters into focus
Penn engineers are opening new avenues for detecting the proteins implicated in diseases like Alzheimer’s and testing new treatments.
Noor Momin harnesses the immune system to treat heart disease
The Stephenson Foundation Term Assistant Professor of Innovation and her lab members work to engineer nanoparticles as medicinal vehicles to fit directly into a single cell.
Breaching the blood-brain barrier
A team of researchers in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has devised a method to deliver mRNA into the brain using lipid nanoparticles, potentially advancing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and seizures.
Lipid nanoparticles that deliver mRNA to T cells hold promise for autoimmune diseases
A new platform to engineer adoptive cell therapies for specific autoimmune diseases has the potential to create therapies for allergies, organ transplants, and more.
Leveraging the body’s postal system to understand and treat disease
An interdisciplinary team of researchers in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Arts & Sciences has developed a technique that allows for characterization of both individual carrier and cargo for clinically important molecules.
In the News
Can your personal medical devices be recycled?
A lab at the School of Engineering and Applied Science led the development of a COVID test made from bacterial cellulose, an organic compound.
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Scientists think they’re on the verge of breaching the blood-brain barrier
Michael Mitchell of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues have constructed a model that could potentially allow drug transporters to bypass the blood-brain barrier.
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How severed cockroach legs could help us ‘fully rebuild’ human bodies
David Meaney of the School of Engineering and Applied Science oversees an undergraduate bioengineering lab that uses cockroach legs to teach students to work with human prostheses.
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Herniated discs could be repaired with biologic patch one day, researchers say
Preclinical research by Robert Mauck of the Perelman School of Medicine, Thomas Schaer of the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Ana Peredo, a Ph.D. graduate of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, reveals how a biologic patch activated by natural motion could become a key tool for repairing herniated discs in the back and relieving pain.
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Thanks, Neanderthals: How our ancient relatives could help find new antibiotics
A study by César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used AI to recreate molecules from ancient humans that could be potential candidates for antimicrobial treatments.
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Why CAR T cell therapy is the cancer killer the world needs now
Research from Michael Mitchell of the School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed a new method to stop cytokine release during CAR T cell therapy, preventing some of its more dangerous side effects.
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