New drug therapy with natural compound shows promise against periodontal diseases New drug therapy with natural compound shows promise against periodontal diseases A translational study from the lab of Penn Dental Medicine’s Esra Sahingur shows “senotherapy” drug combination is effective in managing gingivitis and periodontitis.
A nontraditional journey to dental school nocred A nontraditional journey to dental school Kendra Domotor may have “zigzagged” her way to dentistry, but her journey helped her find her center in dentistry, helping her blend her love of science, teaching, and service. 5 min. read
Commonly prescribed medications for high blood pressure have unexpected side effects Image: Kevin Monko; Courtesy of Penn Dental Medicine. Commonly prescribed medications for high blood pressure have unexpected side effects Henry Daniell of Penn Dental and collaborators found that ACE inhibitors dramatically reduced the activity of ACE2, a critical cardioprotective enzyme. 3 min. read
Dana Graves receives Alan J. Davis Award/SCADA Achievement Award Dana Graves receives Alan J. Davis Award/SCADA Achievement Award Graves, a professor of periodontics and vice dean for Research & Scholarship and interim chair of the Department of Periodontics at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, is recognized for his leadership and commitment to the advancement of dentistry.
An antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission Chewing simulation.(Image: Rachel J. Kulchar) An antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission Researchers at Penn Dental Medicine and collaborators have used a clinical-grade antiviral chewing gum to substantially reduce viral loads of two herpes simplex viruses and two influenza A strains in experimental models. 2 min. read
Students honored for excellence in preventive dentistry Students honored for excellence in preventive dentistry Two fourth-year Penn Dental Medicine students, Hind Aljarahi and Kendra Domotor, have been recognized for their academic excellence in preventive dentistry as recipients of the 2024–2025 ADEA/Haleon Preventive Dentistry Scholarships.
Innate immune training aggravates inflammatory bone loss Image: Love Employee via Getty Images Innate immune training aggravates inflammatory bone loss Researchers from the School of Dental Medicine and international collaborators from Germany have investigated the effects of training the innate immune system in experimental models of chronic inflammatory disease, periodontitis and arthritis.
Getting to the root of root canals Image: Courtesy of Penn Dental Medicine/Peter Olson Photography Getting to the root of root canals Penn researchers use iron oxide nanozymes to treat infections during root canals with fewer adverse effects than clinical gold standard while also promoting tissue healing.
Inflammation proteins in saliva mark progression of gum disease Image: iStock/shironosov Inflammation proteins in saliva mark progression of gum disease A new study from Penn Dental Medicine demonstrates the potential usefulness of saliva tests for tracking periodontitis. 1 min. read
A Q&A with the director of the Penn Center for AIDS Research Penn researchers affiliated with the Penn Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) attended AIDS Walk Philly in October 2024. Pictured with the National AIDS Memorial Quilt are Deratu Ahmed, a first-year epidemiology doctoral student studying pharmacogenetics related to HIV and tuberculosis in Botswana; Dominique Medaglio, a fourth-year epidemiology doctoral student studying ways to encourage smoking cessation for people with HIV in the United States; CFAR co-director Robert Gross, professor of medicine and epidemiology in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Penn Medicine; and CFAR director Ronald Collman, professor of medicine and microbiology.(Image: Courtesy of Ronald G. Collman) Q&A A Q&A with the director of the Penn Center for AIDS Research Ronald G. Collman talks about the current state of AIDS care, work with the City of Philadelphia, and how the Center is supporting collaborations across campus.