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Penn Fruitfly Study Identifies Brain Circuit that Drives Daily Cycles of Rest, Activity
Amita Sehgal, PhD, a professor of Neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, describes in Cell a circuit in the brain of fruit flies that controls their daily, rhythmic behavior of rest and activity.
Sleeping Away Infection: Penn Researchers Find Link between Sleep and Immune Function in Fruitflies
When we get sick it feels natural to try to hasten our recovery by getting some extra shuteye. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that this response has a definite purpose, in fruitflies: enhancing immune system response and recovery to infection.
Penn Bioinformatics Profiling Identifies a New Mammalian Clock Gene
Over the last few decades researchers have characterized a set of clock genes that drive daily rhythms of physiology and behavior in all types of species, from flies to humans. Over 15 mammalian clock proteins have been identified, but researchers surmise there are more.
Penn Study Clarifies Action of Potential New Class of Pain Relievers that May Benefit, not Hurt, the Heart
Nonsteroidal antinflamatory drugs (NSAIDs) that block an enzyme called COX-2 relieve pain and inflammation but can cause heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, and even sudden cardiac death. This has prompted a decade-plus search for safer, but still effective, alternatives to these commonly prescribed, pain-relieving drugs.
Penn Study Connects Sleep Deficits Among Young Fruitflies to Disruption in Mating Later in Life
Mom always said you need your sleep, and it turns out, she was right.
Penn Medicine: New Cell Models for Tracking Body Clock Gene Function will Help Find Novel Meds
The consequences of modern life -- shift work, cell phone addiction, and travel across time zones -- all disturb internal clocks. These are found in the brain where they regulate sleep and throughout the body where they regulate physiology and metabolism. Disrupting the clocks is called circadian misalignment, which has been linked to metabolic problems, even in healthy volunteers.
Penn Study in Fruit Flies Shows that Epilepsy Drug Target May Have Implications for Brain Disorder Sleep Disruption
A new study in a mutant fruitfly called sleepless (sss) confirmed that the enzyme GABA transaminase, which is the target of some epilepsy drugs, contributes to sleep loss.
Penn Study: Protein Key to Cell Motility Has Implications for Stopping Cancer Metastasis
“Cell movement is the basic recipe of life, and all cells have the capacity to move,” says Roberto Dominguez, PhD, professor of Physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Cellular Alchemy: Penn Study Shows How to Make Insulin-Producing Cells from Gut Cells
Destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas is at the heart of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. “We are looking for ways to make new beta cells for these patients to one day replace daily insulin injections,” says Ben Stanger, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
$3.25 Million Gift Creates Penn Medicine/CHOP Friedreich's Ataxia Center of Excellence
Three longtime allies have joined forces to create the new Penn Medicine/CHOP Friedreich’s Ataxia Center of Excellence. The establishment of the center was catalyzed by a $3.25 million gift from the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA), in partnership with the Hamilton and Finneran families.