3/19
Perelman School of Medicine
Genetic switch turns tumor suppressor into oncogene in colorectal cancer
Researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine have shown that an enzyme that suppresses early-stage colorectal cancer switches to become an oncogene as the cancer progresses.
A link between memory and appetite in the brain to explain obesity
Penn Medicine researchers have found the hippocampal subnetwork, located within the memory center of the brain, is more dysregulated in patients with higher body mass indexes, leading to an inability to control or regulate eating habits.
An immunotherapy strategy against all blood cancers
Researchers at Penn Medicine have demonstrated a new potential treatment using CAR T cell therapy using a CRISPR base-editing to develop a method called “epitope editing.”
A summer studying the aesthetic brain
For third-year Olivia Kim, a PURM research experience with Penn neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee allowed her to combine her love of neuroscience and art in a working lab.
Trading decisions are observable in the eyes of buyers and sellers
In a new collaborative study, PIK Professor Michael Platt models how the decision-making process unfolds in the brains of buyers and sellers considering a deal. These decisions were observable in eye movements and pupil dilation.
Carl June on the boundless potential of CAR T cell therapy
In a Q & A, June, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, and Daniel Baker, a fourth-year doctoral student in Penn’s Cell and Molecular Biology department, discuss how the treatment can extend to treating diseases beyond cancer.
Chasing the mysteries of microbiome communication in our bodies
Penn Medicine’s Maayan Levy and Christoph Thaiss, both assistant professors of microbiology, pursue an understanding of the the microbiome, the entirety of microbial organisms associated with the human body, and its relation to fundamental bodily systems.
For a new generation of antibiotics, scientists are bringing extinct molecules back to life
Marrying artificial intelligence with advanced experimental methods, Penn Engineering’s Machine Biology Group has mined the ancient past for future medical breakthroughs, bringing extinct molecules back to life.
SCALAR: A microchip designed to transform the production of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines
Researchers have developed a platform that could rapidly accelerate the development of mRNA-based lipid nanoparticle vaccines and therapeutics at both the small and largescale, SCALAR.
Hard at work, crews make progress during summer construction
Ahead of the arrival of students, summer on campus bustles with construction teams advancing various building projects and maintenance work. Here, a look at what’s happening now.
In the News
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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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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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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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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Social factors may ‘disproportionately’ affect transplant process
A 2023 study led by researchers at Penn found that 44% of patients evaluated for liver transplants were not placed on organ wait lists, with nearly 17% rejected because of psychosocial or financial reasons. Marina Serper and Tamara Cozzi of Penn Medicine discuss the evaluation process for transplants.
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