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Replicating fetal bone growth process could help heal large bone defects
watercolor image depicting the embryonic bone development process, endochondral ossification, featuring cartilage and bone.

A watercolor image depicting the embryonic bone development process, endochondral ossification, featuring cartilage and bone. (Image: Joel Boerckel/Penn Medicine News)

Replicating fetal bone growth process could help heal large bone defects

A new study finds large bone defects could be regenerated through stem cell implantation and mimic the process of rapid fetal bone growth.

Penn Today Staff

Why are so many women still dying from childbirth?
newborn baby in bassinet beside hospital bed with birth mother in background

The U.S. now has the worst maternal mortality rate among all developed countries, and is rising. 

Why are so many women still dying from childbirth?

Experts from Penn discuss the role that social determinants, socioeconomics, and racism play, and how the University is addressing the maternal mortality crisis head on.
Compound’s benefits aren’t tied to the body clock
closeup of cell protein

Compound’s benefits aren’t tied to the body clock

New research from Penn Medicine overturns what was previously known about a compound associated with reductions in obesity and diabetes risk.

Penn Today Staff

Senior pictures
Student holding magazine

Penn senior and photographer Isabel Zapata created Torch Magazine to feature her portraits of fellow graduating seniors, along with their reflections. 

Senior pictures

Graduating senior and photographer Isabel Zapata captured 57 of her classmates in places of significance to create Torch Magazine. The publication features their reflections as well as her portraits.

Louisa Shepard

A link between mitochondrial damage and osteoporosis
Yellow pointers indicate large cells against a background of other microscopic material. Left panel has two smaller cells indicated while the right panel has three larger cells indicated.

Mitochondrial damage is linked to the bone degradation seen in osteoporosis, according to Penn Vet researchers. Macrophages, a type of immune cell, that had dysfunctional mitochondria (right) were more likely to become osteoclasts—cells that break down bone—than control macrophages (left). (Image: Courtesy of Avadhani Lab)

A link between mitochondrial damage and osteoporosis

In healthy people, a tightly controlled process balances the activity of osteoblasts, which build bone, and osteoclasts, which break it down. Damage to cells’ mitochondria can make that process go awry, meaning exposure to cigarette smoke, alcohol, environmental toxins can increase the risk of osteoporosis.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Putting mussels to the test
A student crouches in front of several aquariums full of water and collects a sample, surrounded by a park setting.

Senior Ahsen Kayani checks on the tanks, set up alongside the BioPond.

Putting mussels to the test

With a mussel hatchery in the future for the Schuylkill River, students in Byron Sherwood’s field biology course used scientific rigor to ask how effectively these filter feeders might render the water clean.

Katherine Unger Baillie

We’re only as good as our microbiomes are happy
Colorful sketch of microorganisms

We’re only as good as our microbiomes are happy

Understanding the microbiome, the collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the gut, is helping to sort out the intricacies of diet, chronobiology, cancer treatment, and more.

Penn Today Staff

Microbiologist named Penn Presidential Professor
Kellie Ann Jurado

Microbiologist named Penn Presidential Professor

Kellie Ann Jurado has been recognized by President Amy Gutmann for her research on the immune system and viral infections. Her current work is on the immune response during a Zika infection.

Penn Today Staff

Certain strains of bacteria associated with diabetic wounds that do not heal
Microscopic view of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria 

Certain strains of bacteria associated with diabetic wounds that do not heal

A new study finds that whether a wound like a diabetic foot ulcer heals or progresses to a worse outcome, including infection or even amputation, may depend on the microbiome within that wound.

Penn Today Staff