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Penn Study Demonstrates Genes' Major Role in Skin and Organ Development
Knocking out one or both crucial regulatory genes caused cleft lip, skin barrier defects, and a host of other developmental problems in mice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, hinting that abnormalities in these molecular pathways could underlie many birth defects that are presently not well understood.
Blood Cancers Develop When Immune Cell DNA Editing Enzyme Hits Off-target Spots in the Genome, Penn Animal Study Finds
Sometimes when the immune system makes small mistakes, the body amplifies its response in a big way: Editing errors in the DNA of developing T and B cells can cause blood cancers.
Sensitivity of Smell Cilia Depends on Location and Length in Nasal Cavity, Penn Researchers Find
Like the hairs they resemble, cilia come in all lengths, from short to long. But unlike the hair on our heads, the length of sensory cilia on nerve cells in our noses is of far more than merely cosmetic significance.
Penn Researchers Receive More Than $1 Million in Kaufman Foundation Awards
University of Pennsylvania researchers will receive five of the 10 grants being awarded this year by the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, part of The Pittsburgh Foundation, which supports cutting-edge scientific research in chemistry, biology and physics at institutions across Pennsylvania.
Synthetic DNA Vaccine Against MERS Induces Immunity in Animal Study, Penn Researchers Find
A novel synthetic DNA vaccine can, for the first time, induce protective immunity against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in animal species, reported researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn Medicine: Targeting HIV in Semen to Shut Down AIDS
There may be two new ways to fight AIDS -- using a heat shock protein or a small molecule – to attack fibrils in semen associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during the initial phases of infection, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvan
Spread of Cancer from Pancreas Arises from the Interactions of Multiple Types of Wayward Cells
Tumor cells associated with pancreatic cancer often behave like communities by working with each other to increase tumor spread and growth to different organs.
Penn Study Details Powerful Molecular Promoter of Colon Cancers
Cancer researchers already know of some oncogenes and other factors that promote the development of colon cancers, but they don’t yet have the full picture of how these cancers originate and spread.
It’s All Connected: Daily Changes in Mouse Gut Bacteria Abundance and Type Moves with Internal Clock and Gender
By now, the old saw, “You are what you eat,” has been well-used in describing the microbiome. However axiomatic that phrase may be, a new study has also found that who and when that consumption is done can affect microbiome make-up.
Penn Study Questions Presence in Blood of Heart-Healthy Molecules from Fish Oil Supplements
The importance of a diet rich in fish oils – now a billion dollar food-supplement industry -- has been debated for over half a century. A few large clinical trials have supported the idea that fish oils confer therapeutic benefits to patients with cardiovascular disease. Researchers think that hearts and blood vessels may benefit in part from their anti-inflammatory properties.