4/16
Infectious Diseases
From outbreaks to breakthroughs: Tackling infectious and zoonotic diseases
Penn Vet’s Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases inaugural academic symposium welcomes keynote speaker Katherine J. Wu of The Atlantic.
The immune system does battle in the intestines to keep bacteria in check
New research from Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine demonstrates that Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a relative of the bacterial pathogen that causes plague, triggers the body’s immune system to form lesions in the intestines called granulomas.
Trained dogs can sniff out a deadly deer disease
The proof-of-concept investigation by School of Veterinary Medicine researchers suggests detection dogs could be an asset in the effort to identify, contain, and manage chronic wasting disease, a highly contagious ailment.
Harnessing an innate protection against Ebola
School of Veterinary Medicine researchers have identified a cellular pathway that keeps Ebola virus from exiting human cells, with implications for developing new antivirals.
Five things to know about this year’s ‘tripledemic’
The Perelman School of Medicine’s E. John Wherry and Scott Hensley discuss the season’s confluence of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV and how our bodies are responding.
How sex differences may influence lung injury
Comparing lung cells from male and female mice, School of Veterinary Medicine scientists found gene expression differences that may explain why older males are at a higher risk than females for worse outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases.
New mRNA vaccine to fight 20 known subtypes of influenza
Heading into clinical trials, the new research from Penn Medicine may serve as a general preventative measure against future flu pandemics.
The monkeypox outbreak: What we learned so far, and what could be better
Penn experts assess the state of the monkeypox outbreak, messaging surrounding the ongoing vaccine rollout, and how the public can be better informed for the future.
Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’ and spread on teeth
These multicellular, cross-kingdom assemblages were more resistant to antimicrobials and removal and caused more extensive tooth decay than their single-species equivalents, according to research led by School of Dental Medicine scientists.
Landscape and climate factors can predict prevalence of Lyme disease bacteria
Environmental models, developed by biologist Dustin Brisson of the School of Arts & Sciences, former graduate student Tam Tran, and colleagues, could help forecast disease hotspots.
In the News
The mRNA miracle workers
Nobel laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine appear on “Sunday Morning” to discuss their careers, their mRNA research, and the COVID-19 vaccines.
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Paul Offit looks back on COVID-19, misinformation, and how public health lost the public’s trust in new book
“Tell Me When It’s Over,” a new book by Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine, chronicles the initial years of the COVID-19 pandemic and the mishaps of public health agencies. Recent surveys by the Annenberg Public Policy Center find that mistrust of vaccines has continued to grow through last fall.
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Review of COVID death stats finds likely undercount in official numbers
A paper co-authored by Penn researchers found that COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. were likely undercounted in official statistics during the first 30 months of the pandemic.
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How long does the flu last? What to know
According to the University of Pennsylvania Health System, flu symptoms usually appear two to three days after contact with the virus.
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‘Holding our breath’: Philadelphia officials respond to measles outbreak from day care
Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine explains why measles is so much more infectious than flu.
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Godfather of mRNA vaccines reveals plans to immunize people against cancer years before tumors strike to ‘the disease from ever appearing’
Drew Weissman of the Perelman School of Medicine, who won the Nobel Prize for mRNA vaccines along with Katalin Karikó, is researching an mRNA vaccine against cancer.
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