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Perelman School of Medicine
Penn Team Mimicking a Natural Defense Against Malaria to Develop New Treatments
PHILADELPHIA — One of the world's most devastating diseases is malaria, responsible for at least a million deaths annually, despite global efforts to combat it. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, working with collaborators from Drexel University, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Johns Hopkins
Using Penn-designed Model, MRI Can Screen Patients for Alzheimer's Disease
PHILADELPHIA — When trying to determine the root cause of a person's dementia, using an MRI can effectively and non-invasively screen patients for Alzheimer's disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn Team Developing New Class of Malaria Drugs Using Essential Calcium Enzyme
PHILADELPHIA — Calpain, a calcium-regulated enzyme, is essential to a host of cellular processes, but can cause severe problems in its overactivated state. It has been implicated as a factor in muscular dystrophy, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. As such, finding and exploiting calpain inhibitors is an important area of research.
Protein Kinase Akt Identified as Arbiter of Cancer Stem Cell Fate, According to Penn Study
PHILADELPHIA — The protein kinase Akt is a key regulator of cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, survival, and death.
Penn Researchers Show Cocaine Addiction Resistance May Be Passed Down from Father to Son
PHILADELPHIA — New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that sons of male rats exposed to cocaine are resistant to the rewarding effects of the drug, suggesting that cocaine-induced changes in physiology are passed down from father to son.
Penn’s Steven Fluharty Makes Case for Research Funding in Capitol Hill Briefing
PHILADELPHIA — In the waning days of 2012, two words have dominated the post-election discourse: “fiscal cliff.” The cliff is a combination of impending budgetary measures that will take effect in January if a legislative compromise is not reached.
Penn Medicine Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery Elected to American College of Surgeons Board of Regents
PHILADELPHIA — L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS, was recently elected to the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) Board of Regents.
Penn-Led Research Suggests a New Strategy to Prevent or Halt Periodontal Disease
PHILADELPHIA — Periodontitis, a form of chronic gum disease that affects nearly half of the U.S. adult population, results when the bacterial community in the mouth becomes unbalanced, leading to inflammation and eventually bone loss. In its most severe form, which affects 8.5 percent of U.S. adults, periodontitis can impact systemic health.
Penn Surgeons Perform First Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion Transplantation in the Philadelphia Region
PHILADELPHIA — Transplant surgeons at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have successfully used a new technique that repairs damaged donated lungs that would have been unusable, allowing for successful transplantation of the reconditioned lungs into a patient.
Penn Study: Protected "Power Naps" Are Helpful for Doctors in Training to Fight Fatigue During Overnight Shifts
PHILADELPHIA – New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center indicates that the implementation of protected sleep periods for residents who are assigned to overnight shifts in a hospital represent a viable tool in preventing fatigue and alleviating the physiological and behavior
In the News
Scholars at risk in their own countries find a new home at Penn
Penn Global’s Scholars-at-Risk program is featured. Global’s Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Scott Moore, Penn Carey Law’s Eric Feldman, and Wharton’s Jesús Fernández-Villaverde, along with former and current scholars Angel Alvarado, Pavel Golubev, and Jawad Moradi are interviewed.
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Sugar-coated gold nanoparticles could replace some antibiotics
According to a Penn Medicine study, a new therapy involving laser light and sugar-coated gold nanoparticles can reduce tooth decay and infected wounds without needing antibiotics.
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A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests
A clinical trial led by Stephen Bagley of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that targeting two associated proteins with CAR T cell therapy could be a viable strategy for shrinking brain tumors.
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Alzheimer’s may be caused by a build-up of fat in brain cells
A study by Michael Haney of the Perelman School of Medicine suggests that the root cause of Alzheimer’s is a build-up of fat droplets in brain cells.
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Philadelphia hospital program adds psychologists to bridge mental health services for trauma survivors
A new psychology team at the Penn Trauma Violence Recovery Program has provided about 46 survivors with short- and long- term therapy, featuring remarks from Elinore Kaufman and Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine.
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