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Perelman School of Medicine
Penn Medicine: Zebrafish Model of a Learning and Memory Disorder Shows Better Way to Target Treatment
Using a zebrafish model of a human genetic disease called neurofibromatosis (NF1), a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that the learning and memory components of the disorder are distinct features that will likely need different treatment approaches.
Penn Researcher and CVS Health Physician Urge New Payment Model for Costly Gene Therapy Treatments
Hoping to encourage sufficient investments by pharmaceutical companies in expensive gene therapies, which often consist of a single treatment, a Penn researcher and the chief medical officer of CVS Health outline an alternative payment model in this month’s issue of Nature Biotechnology.
Penn Study Finds Genetic Mutations Linked With Ethnic Disparities in Cancer
One of the goals of genome sequencing is to identify genetic mutations associated with increased susceptibility to disease. Yet by and large these discoveries have been made in people of European or Asian ancestry, resulting in an incomplete picture of global genetic variation in disease vulnerability.
Penn Team Finds Ovarian Cancer Oncogene in 'Junk DNA'
Over the years researchers have made tremendous strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer by searching genomes for links between genetic alterations and disease.
New Penn Integrates Knowledge Website Highlights Program’s Broad Impact
Since 2005 the University of Pennsylvania‘s Penn Integrates Knowledge program has brought to campus exceptional faculty members whose research and teaching exemplify the integration of knowledge across disciplines.
Penn Study Shows Better Outcomes for Sepsis Patients Treated in Hospitals with Higher Volume of Cases
Patients with sepsis, one of the most time-sensitive and hard-to-detect illnesses in medicine, are more likely to survive the life-threatening condition when treated at a hospital that sees a higher volume of sepsis cases.
Penn Medicine Study: Attacking a Rare Disease at its Source With Gene Therapy
Treating the rare disease MPS I is a challenge. MPS I, caused by the deficiency of a key enzyme called IDUA, eventually leads to the abnormal accumulation of certain molecules and cell death.
Drug for Rare Blood Disorder Developed at Penn Receives Orphan Drug Status from European Union
A Penn Medicine-developed drug has received orphan status in Europe this week for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare, life-threatening disease that causes anemia due to destruction of red blood cells and thrombosis.
Penn Study Shows 25 Percent Fewer Opioid-Related Deaths in States Allowing Medical Marijuana
On average, states allowing the medical use of marijuana have lower rates of deaths resulting from opioid analgesic overdoses than states without such laws. Opioid analgesics, such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, are prescribed for moderate to severe pain, and work by suppressing a person’s perception of pain.
Penn Study: Electronic Alerts Significantly Reduce Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
A Penn Medicine team has found that targeted automated alerts in electronic health records significantly reduce urinary tract infections in hospital patients with urinary catheters. In addition, when the design of the alert was simplified, the rate of improvement dramatically increased.
In the News
Fox 29 (Philadelphia)
Cannabis reclassification could be game-changer for U.S. drug policy
Michael Cirigliano of the Perelman School of Medicine says that marijuana deserves to be removed from the same category as LSD, heroin, and fentanyl.
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The Washington Post
Americans are sleeping more than ever. See how you compare
Mathias Basner of the Perelman School of Medicine says that work and traveling are the major sleep killers, with the majority of traveling being commuting to and from work.
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Newsweek
Man does DNA test, not prepared for what comes back ‘unusually high’
César de la Fuente of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Perelman School of Medicine says that Neanderthal DNA provides insights into human evolution, population dynamics, and genetic adaptations, including correlations with traits such as immunity and susceptibility to diseases.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Cardiac arrest recoveries are great stories, but they’re rare. We can fix that
In an opinion essay, Raina Merchant of the Perelman School of Medicine says that low survival rates for cardiac arrest can be improved by increasing rates of CPR.
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Women’s Health
How does fat leave the body? Experts explain the weight loss process
Colleen Tewksbury of the School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine says that waist circumference is a more accessible and potentially more helpful measure for fat loss than stepping on a scale.
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